Scarlet Sometimes
by TheAddict4Dramatics
Summary: The young bride and groom stood proudly arm in arm, the woman smiled for the camera but the groom could not care less about anyone but her. He leaned into whisper something in her ear. It was a picture of unsullied happiness.  "She was my wife." Sirius/OC
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Harry Potter fic and it's another AU Sirius/OC story. I'm not going to pretend it's original but my love of Sirius refused to squash the muse. The first chapter takes place at the Christmas everyone spends at Grimauld Place in Order of the Phoenix. It the muse take me there and there is a want for it I think I'm going to take this story all way through the six and seventh books. AU of course so Sirius cannot die!**

**Copyright all to JK Rowling.**

**Please R+R. **

Chapter One

Harry knocked quietly on Sirius' bedroom door, when no reply came he opened it regardless. Harry was still enjoying this new found comfort and freedom in his home, at Privet Drive such an act as to enter a room without permission, would be punished with no dinner – for days.

The room was empty. A window was open a crack creating a strange movement in the room, the curtains rippled softly, almost dancing and the dust seemed to hover instead of settle on the dark wood of the bed frame and cabinets.

He turned to leave but as he did a picture on the bed side table caught Harry's eye. He looked behind him to make sure Sirius was not around, although comfortable in his new home Harry was still not a snoop and knew he should not be in hiss godfather's room without permission. Still something about the woman in the picture was inexplicably fascinating to him.

She was young, late teens or early twenties and had shoulder length curly and unruly auburn hair. Her huge eyes, the exact shame shade as her mane, barely poked out from beneath the heavy fringe. She was wearing a purple summer dress that rode up slightly too high to be decent as she swung backwards and forwards on the swing. Harry thought she looked like she was in a park. Just a woman in a park on a summer's day. But Harry knew she was special. If nothing else there must be a reason this was the sole picture in Sirius' room.

As Harry got closer the picture, eventually holding it in his hands, he realised the woman was looking directly at him, or the person who had taken the picture. As the image got bigger and smaller, bigger and smaller as she repeatedly swung she never broke eye contact with the camera. Her smile was genuine and the look in her eye kind but with a mischievous glint. As she swung forward the smile turned into what Harry suspected was a flirtatious smirk, a subtle flick of the corner of the mouth. She had an odd familiarity to her, although Harry was sure they had never met, he would have remembered talking to a woman this attractive. But there was an eerie recognition, the sought you get when you see a school acquaintance at a football match in the summer and your brain can't cope with the incorrect context.

Harry was so taken in by the picture he had not heard Sirius approach. He practically hit the roof as Sirius said:

"Harry?" Harry's reaction caused a smirk, not dissimilar to the one in the photograph, from his godfather. "Can I help you with something?" His tone was entirely amused and not accusatory.

"Sirius, I'm sorry, I was just..."

"It's fine. I told you, this is your house too. You can share its misery." Harry tried to look sympathetic, understanding Sirius' dislike of the house and his contempt at being stuck here. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Sirius said indicating to the picture, still in Harry's hands.

"Yes, yes she is, very." Harry looked down and suddenly realised why he recognised the woman. "She was in the original order. In the photograph you gave me in September."

"That's right. Her name was Scarlet Cox. Scar."

Harry noticed the softness in Sirius's voice as he talked, something which was usually undetectable through the significance or excitement or humour in which Sirius spoke. His eyes never left the picture even as he was talking to Harry.

"Scarlet?" The younger man repeated. "You asked for her." At Sirius's confused expression, Harry continued: "That night in the Shrieking Shack. After you'd revealed Petigrew, you asked Remus where she was."

"I'm still wondering."

Harry put the picture back in its place, clearly indicated by the imprint in the thick dust. Still Sirius's eyes remained fixed on her face.

"Sirius..." Harry began slowly, cautiously. "Who is she?"

Sirius did not answer, instead he finally broke eye contact with the mystery woman to lean forward and open the draw of his bedside cabinet. He removed another picture, this one missing a frame and consequently its edges were crumpled and folding in on themselves. Sirius passed the picture to Harry.

Harry's eyes immediately widen in shock, it was almost comical. He darted from Sirius to the picture and back again. The young bride and groom stood proudly arm in arm, the woman smiled for the camera but the groom could not care less about anyone but her. He leaned into whisper something in her ear. It was a picture of unsullied happiness.

"She was my wife."

Harry walked into the kitchen about 10 minutes later. Sirius had flown from the room instantly following his confession and had been aimlessly crashing about in the kitchen ever since. He acknowledged Harry's arrival with a slight turn of the head but continued to move piles of clean cutlery, pots and pans around the equally clean surfaces.

Harry was glad the Weasley's and Hermione had decided to go leave for some last minute Christmas shopping; this would be much easier with just the two of them in the house.

He gingerly reached across and placed the photo in front of Sirius, as an act of returning it. Harry cleared his throat and began to speak, unsure of what to say:

"I... I didn't know you... were... were married."

"Widowed." Sirius muttered, seemingly devoid of emotion.

"What happened?" He ignored this question and began to move the objects around again. "Sirius, how did she die?"

Sirius slammed the plates down with a smash, breaking the majority of them. He turned on Harry, both physically and mentally, advancing on his godson like a starved lioness whose had just seen unsuspecting prey.

"I don't know! In case you hadn't figured it out I haven't exactly been around for the past 14 years!" He instantly regretted his outburst, shameful for snapping at Harry for being naturally inquisitive. He sighed. "I'm sorry." His shoulders seemed to slump as the realisation that he would have to tell Harry became inevitable.

Sirius motioned to the table and the both took a seat, as he began:

"Remus tells me she went missing shortly after I was captured. He tried everything to find her, so did Dumbledore. But they couldn't. That only means one thing. That or she has out done herself in concealing from me." Sirius tried a smile but it did not reach his eyes and looked weak and pathetic.

"Was she...?"

"Your godmother? Yes."

Harry looked down for a moment, unable to take the agony playing across Sirius' features. It was a complete contrast to the lack of emotion Sirius had shown only a few moments before. He was changing between unbearably agony and total numbness.

Harry felt tears develop behind his eyes but he did not cry. He had no right to cry for a woman he did not know when her tortured husband sat before him. But Harry couldn't help feeling the grief and mourning. Another one of his family dead. He was the boy who lived. Yet he seemed unable to keep anyone else alive. He should be named the boy who lives whilst his family dies around him.

"I want to know about her. Everything."

"Harry, I can't..."

"Sirius..."

"I can't tell you." He paused. "But I might be able to show you."

Sirius showed Harry into a room he had never been in before. It was full of objects of shapes and sizes concealed under blankets and sheets. There was barely any light and the small crack of daylight that had managed to infiltrate the stale air caused exaggerated shadows on the wall that gave the impression the two men were about to be attacked but unseen enemies. Perhaps they were.

Sirius paused for a moment as if he was trying to member something. As the illusive thought or memory finally came to him he began to move with purpose, pushing the objects out of the way without a sign of care of affection for them. He threw off one of the sheets to a reveal a pensieve, just like the one Dumbledore had used last year to impart the revelation of Barty Crouch Jr. Harry was amazed Sirius owned one of these mystical creations, he hadn't thought of them as everyday objects, even in the magical world.

Sirius misunderstood the look of wonder on Harry's face.

"It's called a Pensieve, it..."

"I know what it is." It was Sirius turn to look at the boy with wonder, Harry smiled and explained with one word.

"Dumbledore"

"Naturally."

Sirius drew out his wand and held it to his head as if he were a desperate man on the edge about to end it all with a pistol. The tip of the wand hovered over his temple as it extracted the thin, fluid, blue/slivery line of his memories. He placed them in the Penseive with posture of new found freedom. As if he had just unloaded a heavy weight.

"This will tell you more than I ever can."

With that Sirius left Harry alone in the darkened room.


	2. Chapter 2 Part One

**Thanks for all the subscriptions; I hope that means you are liking it! This chapter is a bit rushed as I'm going on holiday later today and don't know if I will have internet to post anything in the next week. So there are properly a few more typos etc than normal. The memories of Sirius Black (Chapter Two) will most likely be in three parts otherwise the chapter would be huge.**

**R+R**

Chapter Two – Part One

After t he journey into the Penseive, which hadn't improved on his second encounter, Harry landed in the Hogwarts grounds up the hill from Hagrid's shack. He felt nauseas just as he had last year but tried to block that out to find what Sirius wanted to show him.

He saw it.

There, walking only a few feet away from him was his father and Sirius, talking excitedly, plotting something. Remus followed but did not join in, he appeared to be trying to look serious or even disapproving but the frequent little grins gave away his true feelings. Struggling to keep up, a few paces behind was the very young but equally recognisable face of Peter Petigrew. His affinity to the look of the rat was clear even when he was fully human, before he had become an animagus.

Harry had to fight the urge to run at him, wanting nothing more than to take a swing at the murderous traitor. But he knew they could not see him. Besides this was a memory, he couldn't change it.

"What till you see Snivellus' face! It's going to be epic!" Sirius laughed.

"Best prank if the year, 1974." James added.

Harry quickly worked it out in his head, '74, that meant they were in their fourth year. He wondered why Sirius had shown him this.

Suddenly there was a lot of noise, Harry, along with the four Marauders turned around. There was a group of girls, clearly Sliverin, taunting a younger girl. She had messy auburn hair and big round eyes. Harry recognised her instantly – Scarlet, his godmother.

Sirius bounded past Harry, who was not technically there, and over to the girls.

"Padfoot to the rescue!" James mocked but Sirius either did not hear him or chose to ignore his best friend. He stormed right into the middle of the girls.

"Bella, leave it!" He almost shouted. The ring leader of the group, a thin, tall girl with a mass of jet black curls, running all the way down her back turned to face Sirius. Her face was painted in what appeared to be a constant snarl.

"Siri... Come to rescue the poor 'ittle girl?" Her tone sardonic. "Big brave Gryffindor, loves the half-breeds and mudbloods!" Bellatrix's gang laughed and cheered, before hissing at the girl. Scarlet did not cower, in fact you could not even tell she was afraid but she knew she could get out of the situation through force so she remained trapped amongst the Sliverins.

"Bella..." Sirius' tone was full of warning but Harry doubted he could have out duelled a group of witches all three years older than himself.

"Cuz. Filthy blood traitor!" Bellatirx roared. "No wonder your parents are so desperate to disown you. You're a disgrace to the Black name."

Although intimidated Sirius stood his ground, staring down his cousin. Eventually Bellatrix simply returned to her normal smirk and marched away, her loyal followers did the same. Sirius looked triumphed and proud.

"Thanks" Scarlet murmured and turned to leave. The whole event seemed to have no effect on her whatsoever.

"Wait! Wait a second... I'm Sirius." Scarlet had no reaction. "Sirius Black. Gryffindor."

"I know who you are. Kind of infamous around here aren't you?"

Sirius shrugged in what was supposed to be a nonchalant way but it was obvious he was thrilled to be known by reputation. At his expectant look Scarlet finally stated:"Scarlet Cox." Then reciting the tone he had used to announce his house, she mocked: "Ravenclaw."

Sirius seemed unfazed by her lack of interest or gratitude, Harry wasn't sure if his godfather had been born this confident but it was something he envied.

"Ravenclaw, brilliant! I've got this potions homework and I can't even start it!"

Scarlet finally seemed amused or at least slightly captivated by the conversation, Harry wondered if that was the true Ravenclaw within, unable to resist an intellectual challenge. As Sirius pulled said homework from his rucksack however she looked utterly surprised.

"You're being serious?"

"I'm always Sirius." He grinned to which she rolled her eyes but smiled also. "I'm sorry." Sirius became sombre again. "About my cousin, she's ridiculous. I'm not... I'm not like them. The other Blacks."

"No, you're a Gryffindor."

"I just meant that I'm not into that whole pureblood superiority thing."

"Must be an unpopular opinion in your house."

Sirius laughed out loud and answered:

"You could say that."

"Good for you." Scarlet was looking at him in a completely different way now. Harry realised it was respect that replaced indifference in her eyes. "I've got to go, I'm already late for McGonagall." She turned to leave then came back grabbing the homework from Sirius' hand. "I'll do the first two questions, you should be able to work out the rest from those answers."

"Thanks! You're the best, honestly, you're brilliant."

Scarlet didn't seem at all taken in by compliments such as these from the school' heartthrob' and Harry could tell this confused Sirius, he was used to swooning when he so much as looked at a girl.

"Nice to meet you Sirius Black. _Gryffindor_." She said whilst walking away.

"Nice to meet you too Scarlet Cox. _Ravenclaw_."

The scene dissolved and formed again at the top of the Astronomy tower. Scarlet was there alone staring out into the starry night. She was wearing full Hogwarts gowns but looked too old to be a school student, Harry guessed it must be their seventh year.

She was crying softly as she gazed at the moon.

"Knew I'd find you here." Sirius announced his entrance. He too was in full robes and looking far too old for them. Scarlet did not turn. "You not coming down for the feast?" He asked whilst walking over to her, mirroring her position of leaning over the railings and standing close enough to show they were friends, good friends. They had clearly become close over the last three years.

"In a bit." She whispered.

Sirius clearly knew she was upset but did not comment on it, he had learnt it was best to wait until she wanted to tell you. Sirius had come to value their friendship more than almost all his others, the Marauders being the exception. He never felt he had to be anything but himself with her and that was refreshing. Even with James and the others he took on the role of the being the ringleader of mischief, which of course he enjoyed but with Scar there was no act or role required. She was un-apolitically herself all the time whether people found it endearing or funny or cold or odd. Her lack of inhibition was beautiful.

"Where are the others?" Scarlet broke his silent musings.

"James is with Lily – again. Remus is saying an emotion goodbye to the library." Scarlet laughed. "And god knows about Peter."

"I don't want to go." She stated simply. "Isn't that stupid. Everyone is supposed to be crazy happy about leaving school but I just want to go back and do it again."

"That's not stupid."

Scarlet looked at him and thanked him with her eyes for being there with her.

"I'm scared." She whispered. "And I don't like it. I don't get scared, at anything, but I'm petrified of leaving this place because I don't what to do or who I am without Hogwarts." She began to cry again. Sirius wrapped his arms around in a friendly embrace.

"Frankly I'm glad you feel this way." Scarlet pulled back and hit him on the arm. "Ouch! Look at least now I know you're human! You feel emotion." She went to hit him and again but he backed away. "As for what you're going to do well that's simply, you're so blood-boiling, enviously intelligent that the ministry will snap you up immediately to be a super spy. Well that's my wish because it has been a long time fantasy of mine to see you in leather."

Scarlet scowled but it soon turned into a smile, he was the only person that had the ability to cheer her up instantly.

"And about knowing who you are, honestly Scar? You are the only person I know who is 100% happy with themselves. Come one. You are who you are and you say fuck it to anyone that tells to cut your fringe 'so you can see properly' or tone down your rainbow make-up or says 'that's an interesting dress' in a tone that really says 'what are you wearing?'" Scarlet smiled at him. "As long as you remain the same, Scar, you'll walk it."

She walked over to him and Sirius braced himself for another hit, probably because of the dress comment. Instead she threw her arms around him and laughed.

"You know you're not too bad Black." She spoke into his neck, causing Goosebumps to erupt on the surface of his skin. "For a pure-blood, animagus, moron!"

"Well you're quite bearable yourself. For a know-it-all wing-nut!"

Scarlet moved away a little to look him in the eye, he still held her against him with his hands around her waist.

"You've been a good friend to me."

"Friendship ain't over yet kid!"

And suddenly without even realising either was initiating it, the two were kissing. It was soft at first, a comforting kiss, almost platonic but it soon turned more passionate. Harry glanced around; he had been so caught up in the scene it had been like watching an old-romantic Hollywood film. Now he felt uncomfortable about spying on his godfather but he wasn't controlling this, Sirius was.

Sirius' head was a mess, he knew that kissing one of his best friends, who have never been anything but a friend, the night before they both leave the school and are unlikely to see each other anytime soon was probably not the best idea.

But he had had enough of pretending. Pretending he liked all of those girls that followed him round, sighing and laughing at anything he said or did. Pretending he enjoyed being a bachelor, never settling with one girl. The truth is that he had only ever wanted one girl, properly wanted that is, ever since that gorgeous face had muttered 'thanks' without a hint of gratitude and turned to walk away. She could see through all of his bullshit and swagger and actually seemed to like the small, confused boy underneath. He was sick of being chased, he wanted to do some chasing and the tantalising, impossible chase for Scarlet Cox had kept him captivated for over three years.

They pulled away, gasping for air; her lips were bright red from their onslaught, the colour contrasted starkly with the paleness of her skin. Her hair was even more unruly than usual and her eyes were clouded with something Sirius had never seen in them before: lust.

He drew their foreheads together, both still breathing hard.

"Do you want to go to the feast or we could..." Please go for 'or', Sirius was silently begging, if he had to go to the feast now he might actually die. "We could..."

Scarlet smiled, and for the first time Sirius realised how sexy her little smirk was. She opened her mouth to reply but the voice that came out was not her own.

"There you are!" James yelled, apparently completely oblivious to what he was interrupting. "You coming to the feast or what?"

Scarlet smiled at Sirius once more, but this time it was a sad smile. The smile of a missed opportunity. She released herself from his embrace and walked over to James, saying with false happiness:

"Of course we are!"

She bounded down the spiral staircase. It was the last glimpse Sirius would have of Scarlet Cox for many years.


	3. Chapter 2 Part Two

**I have internet here! Thanks for all the favouriting/subscribing and to **_**thebritishone**_** for their lovely review! I may have lied as this chapter is looking more like it will be in four parts and not three but now I can update regularly. **

**Please R+R **

Chapter Two: part two

The scene dissolved once more and Harry felt instantly warmer. He found himself in a country pub, it was dark outside and so the place was dimly lit with dozens of candles, it was quiet but not abandoned as a few groups of people or individual drinkers were scattered around.

If the look of the punters hadn't given it away, the pint glass at the end of the bar that was drying up itself showed this was not a muggle pub.

The door opened behind Harry and someone passed right through him. He realised it was Sirius, although he was taller and broader and his hair longer than the last memory. Harry moved to sit next to him at the bar, Sirius' face had grown more defined and there was a generous amount of stumble gracing the lower half of his face. Just short enough, as was his hair, to keep him from looking scruffy. However the biggest difference was none of these features, but the bleeding nose and mouth to which the wizard was holding a dirty rag.

"Fire whisky." Sirius murmured as he held up his hand to catch the attention of the aging landlord. The action was so unenthusiastic Harry was surprised the bar-tender even noticed it but he did and set to pouring the drink.

"Sirius Black." A voice purred from behind, both Sirius and Harry turned in unison to behold Scarlet Cox standing there with that same sexy pout and a dishcloth thrown over her shoulder.

She too looked older than before, Harry guessed about the same age as the picture of her on the swing or perhaps a little younger. If in school she was modestly attractive she now stood stunningly beautiful. She had grown into her features so they no longer looked a little too big for her face but in perfect proportion. That is except for her eyes that remained as stark, big and doe-like as ever. Her hair also remained the same, natural, unruly curls that hung just past her shoulders and a heavy fringe provided the perfect veil to hide behind. The controversial rainbow make-up was replaced with a dark, smoky eye and her lips were painted red, the exact shade of her name.

When Sirius failed to do anything but stare in shock, a reaction she was surely getting used to working in a pub looking like she did, she laughed and said:

"Jesus you haven't forgotten me already?" Sirius sprung into action and launched himself at her into a bear hug, completely forgetting about his blood stained face.

"Scar..." He pulled away grinning from ear to ear. "Oh shit sorry I haven't got blood on you have I?"

"You haven't changed." She stated simply, completely ignoring the question. After looking around to make sure it was quiet she took Sirius by the hand. "Come on."

Scarlet lead him into one of the back rooms and motioned to a seat which he gratefully took. She disappeared and returned with a first aid box. She set too touching up his face.

"What's this? A Ravenclaw like yourself doesn't even have the spell to fix a bloody nose?" Sirius mocked.

"Of course. But this way hurts more." As if to prove her point she dabbed lotion directly on to his cut lip and he yelped in pain. She smiled. "What did you think this was? I'm not healing you Black, I'm punishing you!"

Sirius pushed her away but he couldn't even pretend to be mad, he was ecstatic to see her again.

"Lily's going to kill me if I turn up at the church like this tomorrow. It was only a prank, like the good old times to celebrate the stag do. People are so touchy."

"23 years old." Scarlet muttered as she put away the box and came back with two fire whiskeys, passing one to Sirius and taking the seat opposite him. "So James and Lily are getting married tomorrow?"

"Yep, finally. I'm the best man." Scarlet offered a silent toast with her drink as congratulations. "You should come! They'd be thrilled, honestly."

"It's supposed to be a day to share with the people you love most in the world. We're not in Hogwarts anymore Sirius."

"And you've done a pretty good job of avoiding us since then anyway." His tone was bitterer than he had intended. Scarlet looked hurt for a split second before she regained her composure.

"You haven't exactly gone out of your way either Siri." The use of his old nickname had the desired effect and his face instantly softened. "Besides I've been busy you know..."

"Working here?" He asked with a sardonic tone. Scarlet ignored that and continued regardless.

"And so have you. Still marauding I see." Sirius looked inquisitive at how she would know and the beauty offered an explanation straight away. "Some of the locals are quite outraged at your, what did you call them, 'pranks'. Looks like you're still infamous." Sirius smiled.

"Your locals." He mused. "Scar don't punch me but... I really didn't think you'd end up here. Aren't you bored out of your mind?" The Scarlet I knew would have laughed in the face of someone whose ambition was to work in a pub, he didn't add that bit. Perhaps she was right, they weren't at Hogwarts anymore and maybe she wasn't the Scar he had known.

"Why would I be? The money is good, the work is easy granted but the people are nothing if not interesting."

"Which would make this the perfect job for the standard blonde Hufflepuff in our year but Scar you were anything but standard."

"Are you sure you don't want that punch?"

When he gave her a looked that said he wouldn't drop it she simply shrugged and avoid his stealthy gaze. Sirius was amazed at how appalling she was at lying to him. He had seen he tell many a convincing lie over their time at Hogwarts; to Professors about lack of homework or other students, usually to gain something out of it. But with him she was never convincing, in fact it was the only occasion she looked embarrassed.

"I knew it! You don't work here!"

"I'm pretty sure I do."

"Scarrr..." He almost growled her name.

"It's true it's not my... err... full time employment." She added coyly.

"Your spying! Gathering information for the ministry!"

"God no!" Scarlet hissed, trying to keep her voice down. "The ministry doesn't know their tolls from their centurions when it comes to 'you know who'. Or should I say their Death Eaters from their Aurors. It's Dumbledore." Sirius looked completely shocked.

"You're working for Dumbledore! I knew he was gathering people to face _him_ but... always knew he had a soft spot for you."

"The man's got good taste."

"Yes he has."

Sirius looked at her face and tried to forget how sweet those rich lips tasted or, as his gaze moved lower, how the subtle yet defined curve of her bust felt under his hands. The silence suddenly became awkward.

"So now you know my big secret. Don't go advertising." Sirius snapped his head back up to meet her eye and nodded sincerely. "I finish in half an hour, if you want to stick around? We could go somewhere for a real drink."

Sirius agreed and did stay, he sat one end of the bar and spent to entire 30 minutes gazing at Scarlet as she served customers and tidied up. When she had finished she changed into a black and red dress that matched her lipstick perfectly, it was just loose enough and long enough to be effortlessly sexy and not cheap. As they left she slipped her hand into Sirius'. He looked happy than Harry could ever remember seeing him.

As the scene reinvented itself once again Harry was standing in a small bedroom. To left was a wall that consisted entirely of build in black wardrobes, to his right patio doors that led somewhere he couldn't see and a modest dressing table. The door was behind him and front a double bed with plain white sheets.

A woman was lying face down on the bed, the covers resting on her lower back revealing a long expanse of creamy smooth skin. The mass of auburn hair sprawled on the pillow gave away its owner instantly. Harry was in his godmother's bedroom.

Once more Harry felt a little uncomfortable at being here in the intimate setting with a woman he had never met. Besides he was a fifteen year old boy invisible in an attractive woman's bedroom, certain reactions were inevitable. Harry mentally slapped himself; she was his godmother, practically family! He moved to the patio door and tried to open it in an attempt to escape. Whatever was about to occur it was obvious extremely personal, although Sirius wanted him to witness it he convinced himself he could witness it from outside. Yet the door would not open so Harry remained trapped.

At that moment Sirius walked in wearing only his trousers. He passed a mirror and ran his hands over the deep red smudges on his neck and torso caused by Scarlet's lipstick. He smiled. Normally, the morning after, Sirius felt nothing but indifference or perhaps slight disappointment. The conquest won and now it was time to move on. This morning he felt anything but indifference.

He looked down at her sleeping form whilst pulling on his t-shirt. He can't believe he had waited five years to see her again and then by coincidence, he sent a silent thank you to the God of coincidence.

As Sirius sat down on the bed and pulled on his boots Scarlet stirred without him noticing.

"Sneaking away in the early morning." Her voice was thick with sleep, making it deeper and even sexier, Sirius thought. "There's that Gryffindor courage."

"I was most definitely not sneaking. I'm late, there's a lot to organise." He turned and kissed her lightly on the shoulder.

"You and James have left something to the last minute? I am shocked!" She teased.

"Last night was...fun, very fun." He kissed her shoulder again. "I meant what I said, you should come today."

"Maybe." Sirius decided to say nothing more about it, despite his earlier thoughts she was still exactly the same girl he knew at Hogwarts. This meant she would not be pushed into anything.

"Just don't leave it another five years okay?"

"I won't if you won't." They kissed before Sirius rose and headed for the door.

"''Cause I'd die if I'd have to wait another five years for a shag like that!" He darted quickly from the room narrowly escaping the pillow as it hit the door in his wake.


	4. Chapter 2 Part Three

**I'm back already! Got to love holidays that consist of nothing but walking, reading and writing! This is part three of the memories, there is only one more chapter of memories after this I promise. Then it will be back to OotP AU timeline. Thank you for the continued favouriting/subscribing and **_**thebritishone **_**for another lovely review.**

**R+R **

Chapter Two – part three

Harry was thrown into the fourth memory and by now the sickness feeling had subsided to almost nothing at all and he just allowed himself to be pulled from one scene to another.

This time he was standing at the front of a traditional church that been decorated with white ribbon on the pews and white carpet down the central aisle. At the end of each pew was an elaborate flower arrangement of lilies, it looked as if it were decorated for a wedding. It was then that Harry realised it was a wedding he was at, not just any wedding but that of his parents. They were standing a few feet away, gazing lovingly at each other as the vicar appeared to be finishing the ceremony. His father was dressed in a traditional morning suit and his mother looked beautiful in her floor length satin white gown.

Next to his father stood Sirius, in a matching morning suit. He smiled and cheered with everyone else as Harry's parents kissed but the smile did not reach his eyes. Sirius briefly scanned the applauding crowd again looking for her but she wasn't there. He tried hard not to feel disappointment, after all she had never said that she was actually coming and appeared against the idea. But he couldn't help it, truthfully he was bitterly disappointed. Maybe last night had only been 'fun' (as he had described) to Scarlet but to him it was monumental. Finally he understood what had been missing from his life, that nagging feeling always at the back of his mind that perhaps his bachelor, heart-throb love life he lead, that so many envied, was in fact not at all what he wanted.

As James and Lily walked down the aisle arm in arm as man and wife they smiled and waved at the congregation. As they headed out of the doors at the back James turned and winked at Sirius. He smiled but did not entirely understand the gesture. At least not until he followed his best friend's line of vision to a figure tucked away in the last row in the left corner.

Scarlet stood in a deep blue knee length dress that hugged every flawless curve. She met his eye and nodded.

Harry followed the crowds outside as the pictures were being taken; he thanked Sirius for sharing this memory with him and allowing him to see his parents to care-free and in love. He would cherish this memory, although not his own, for his entire lifetime.

As everyone arrived at the hall for the reception Sirius finally had the chance to talk to her. Scarlet sat at the bar sipping her drink, Sirius approached from behind placing a hand each side of her on the bar, trapping her. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

"So a single man sees a gorgeous girl sitting alone at wedding party and thinks it's criminal for a woman that can look so good in that dress to be alone at a wedding, so he plucks up the courage to ask her to dance. What does she say?"

Scarlet's gazed remained forward and her voice completely casual:

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think the lady wouldn't be able to resist such an offer."

Sirius led her by the hand onto the dance floor that was already filled with guests at varying levels of intoxication. The music turned slower and so he wrapped his arms around Scarlet's waist drawing her close to him. It dawned on him that the last time he stood like this was with Scarlet also, on their last night at Hogwarts on the astronomy tower. He realised how long this woman had had an effect over him and it occurred to him that he had been a one woman man for a lot longer than 24 hours.

"You came." He stated as they began to sway.

"Looks that way." She stared intently into his eyes as if searching for an answer to something, apparently not finding what she sought Scarlet continued: "What was last night Siri? I mean I was so surprised to see you and we were drinking one minute and the next..."

"Do you regret it?"

Scarlet considered lying for a moment but she could never be bothered with the socially accepted rules that produced moron clones of people and no individuals. She said what she thought. Besides he would see through any untruth anyway.

"No."

"Me neither." He paused. "Can I tell you something without you laughing or scaring you off?"

"That depends if it's comical or scary." She joked but then rested her hand in the crook of his neck; he took that as a yes.

"Whenever I'm with a girl or afterwards..."

"Which is most nights apparently." She murmured into his neck but there was no tone of bitterness just a playful edge. He persisted:

"I always thought of you... or, of that night in the astronomy tower. I could never work out why but I think now I know." Sirius paused, for dramatic effect more than anything else. "I think it was regret. That I wanted to go back and change things. Tell James piss off for a start..."

Scarlet laughed quietly. She could tell he was putting himself out and feeling vulnerable, she kissed his neck softly in what she hoped was a gesture of reassurance.

"Sometimes I pretend that we did do it that night. That you were my first." Scarlet said whilst she looked up to meet his eye. "Then it would have meant something. Not been the drunken, clumsy thing it was in reality."

"Last night meant something. And that scares the shit out of me." Sirius gulped.

"Why?"

"Because I can't be what you need." Scarlet slowly shook her head and he believed she was agreeing with him.

"I don't need you to be anything besides yourself Siri. I need you to make me laugh the way only you can. Look after me and look out for me like you did when we were fourteen. I need you to be the person that makes me want to do nothing else but come home at the end of each day and the reason I get that dreadful feeling on a Monday morning because I know I've got to get out of bed and leave you for the week. I don't want to be the girl sat alone at the bar."

"You won't be, not anymore. You'll be the girl on my arm. You always have been."

They kissed deeply and he drew her even closer to himself. They kept swaying, even after the song had finished.

As the scene changed for the sixth time Harry recognised his surroundings, he was in the same bedroom that he had watched Sirius and Scarlet in the morning of his parents wedding. The room looked exactly the same except perhaps a few more things scattered around and these appeared to be male property.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, followed by excited talking and laughing. They stopped outside the door but did not open it.

"Sirius, wait!" By now Harry could recognise his godmother's voice, she sounded breathless from laughing. "You're supposed to carry me over the threshold." There was a short pause. "What? Don't look at me like that, its tradition."

"Like the tradition of the bride being a virgin when she walks down the aisle in white." There was a smacking sound followed by the animagus' cry: "Oww!"

"Don't be an arse on our wedding day! I can demand anything of you today. That's also tradition."

"Well if it's tradition."

"Sirius, no, wait! Put me down!" Scarlet shrieked.

He entered the bedroom with his new wife slung over his shoulder in the fireman's lift, ungracefully kicking her legs trying to free herself. He set her down before he dropped her because of his laughing. Sirius was wearing a crumpled shirt and trousers with a bowtie, undone, slung over his shoulders. At one point it would have been a whole wedding suit but he had disregarded the other items at some point during the day. Scarlet was wearing a vintage wedding dress, it was a simple shape with a sweetheart neckline, synched in waist and full shirt to her knee. The material was covered with a layer of lace that made the dress long sleeved. She also wore her signature Scarlet lipstick.

"Well wasn't that romantic." Scarlet stated sarcastically, he pulled her into him.

"I'm all out of romance day, darling."

He kissed her lazily. Harry couldn't explain it but their body language was different to last memory, they were now completely comfortable in each other's presence. Similar to how they were at the top of the astronomy tower but with an added layer of intimacy. They knew each other unequivocally.

"Thank you," She smiled as they pulled apart. "It was the perfect day." He nodded. "Well almost... I'm sorry about your family."

"They're not worth a second thought Scar. If they had come they'd have just made comments and scowled." He did a shockingly credible impression of his mother's facial expression when he announced his engagement to the muggleborn beauty, Scarlet burst out laughing but then turned serious again.

"I don't want to cause a divide between you and your family."

"Trust me, that divide or chasm of black abyss was there long before you even entered my life." He rested his head against her hers as she brought her hands up around his neck and absent-mindedly played with his hair. "Besides the boys were there and Lily. And you. You're my family now and you're all I ever need."

These words moved her and she appeared to have tears glistening in her eyes but deciding she had probably cried enough for one day she held them back and changed the topic of conversation.

"Poor Lily," She started with genuine sympathy. "She looked so tired by the end of the evening."

"She's eight months pregnant Scar, I think that's standard." Harry smiled from his position in the corner of the room, it was the first time he had been appeared in Sirius' memoires. "Just wait til your eight months pregnant, then try not to look tired."

Scarlet withdrew her head sharply but he kept her anchored at the waist.

"And when exactly will this be?" She asked.

"About eight months from now, unless my maths has gone acutely wrong, which is completely possible of course." Sirius smiled trying to inject some humour into the situation; Scarlet did not take the bait.

"I can't say that would be safe with everything Dumbledore has got me doing." She untangled herself from his grasp and moved to the wardrobe to take off her shoes.

"Well maybe if I knew what you were doing I may have an opinion!"

The bitterness was overwhelmed with the anger lacing his every word; he had not indented to shout and regretted it instantly when he saw his wife flinch with fright. It wasn't that he wanted to know her every move so he could somehow control it like a demented 50's husband; he was just overcome with fear for her safety. The deeper she got involved the closer she became to 'you know who'. He couldn't even consider the possibility of something happening to her. He had been sincere when saying she was his whole family and he would go mad if he lost her.

Scarlet turned around, this time the tears in her eyes did fall and she had no power to stop them.

"You know I tell you as much as I can. It's not an issue of trust Siri but of safety, for you, me, everyone involved."

"I know, I'm sorry."

He walked over to her and kissed her with such passionate that she was backed up against the wardrobe; her arms were spread above their heads, held in place with his iron grip on her wrists as he continued the assault on her mouth. He wanted to kiss away any anger or pain he had caused, it was their wedding night and he was ruining it with his childish fears. He pulled away for air and they were both panting.

"I don't want to fight, not tonight." She breathed, he nodded and kissed her again with equal passion. "Mmm, Siri..." She mumbled against his lips, he pulled away a fraction, his lips still hovering over hers. "You still haven't had your wedding present from me."

"What would that be?" He smirked.

"Help me out of this dress and you'll see."


	5. Chapter 2 Part Four

**Chapter two finished at last! Thank you for being patient with it. Again big thank you to all the favouriting/subscribing and to my lovely reviewers **_**thebritishone **_**and **_**Liberacorpus**_

**The T rating definitely applies to this one as there are adult themes but nothing too explicit.**

**R+R**

Chapter Two – part four

This time Harry found himself in a small, well-decorated living room. The curtains were drawn and the blazing fire in the corner was only light source. In an armchair by the fire Sirius sat rocking a baby in his lap, the child looked no old than six months, he smiled broadly at the infant. He was very natural with him and Harry assumed it was Sirius' son, although Harry was not aware he had a child. However as he approached Harry recognised the bright green of his eyes and realised that the baby was himself. He had to admit watching himself was a little unnerving but that feeling was overridden with the joy of seeing Sirius interact with his younger self so peacefully and joyously.

The front door opened and Scarlet strode in, wet from the rain outside. She shed her coat and hung it behind the door.

"I know." She said as she met Sirius' eye. "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm sorry Harry baby..." She took the child from Sirius' arms and Harry's younger self squealed with delight.

"Is everything alright?"

Sirius had long accepted there were certain aspects of his wife's occupation that he could not and would never know, so instead of worrying about what they might be he decided to support her in the areas he could.

"Yes everything is fine, isn't little man." She addressed Harry and tickled him lightly which caused another giggle. "I just forgot the time talking to Dumbledore." She paused and looked uncertain of how to continue. "I'm going to be taking a less prominent role in the order from now on... guess you could say I'm stepping down..."

Sirius stood; looking utterly flabbergasted as he slowly approached her.

"Dumbledore's recruiting all the time and he's found a couple of people that are promising, that he trusts, so..."

"Why?" Sirius interrupted. Scarlet didn't answer. "I mean I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relived, thrilled even, that you're not going to be in so much danger all the time. But you shouldn't do this just for me, not if you don't want to. I don't want you to resent me."

"Not everything is about you Black." Scarlet stated and her tone was difficult to read, on one hand she seemed aggravated, angry almost but there was an inner peace or happiness she was also emitting. "Well actually this sort of is."

"Scar, I don't understand."

She shuffled, adopting a straight standing position a few feet in front of her husband. She seemed to hold Harry tighter as if for some sort of comfort or reassurance. Scarlet looked Sirius straight in the eyes and said:

"I'm pregnant."

For a moment he did not move a muscle, just stood staring blankly at her as if his mind refused to process the information. Finally after what seemed to be an eternity of silence, he finally whispered:

"My god."

Sirius' face exploded into the biggest smile and strode over to his wife and godson and pulled them into his chest, clinging on to both woman and child.

"A baby!" He laughed as tears became visible in his eyes. "An actual little baby, our baby!" He ran his hand over her stomach amazed that his child was growing inside. The tears finally fell and Scarlet was crying too but they was laughter also. "I didn't know... I mean I didn't think we were trying?"

"We weren't! But clearly somebody upstairs had different ideas. We're going to be parents!"

"D'ya hear that Harry, a playmate for you!" Sirius took the child and tossed him in the air until Harry was beside himself with excitement. "Or future wife perhaps. If it's a girl of course. Tell you what mate," Sirius glanced over at Scarlet, "If she looks anything like her mother you are one lucky sod. I know I am."

Scarlet kissed him and then Harry.

"This is cause for a celebration!" Sirius declared. "A dance and a drink... well not for you, Scar... or you Potter. Luckily I'm confident I can drink enough for the three of us, I mean four of us." He disappeared into the kitchen still holding Harry. "Now where does your mum and dad keep the decent booze?"

"I'm not sure that was part of the babysitting brief. 'Look after your godson, drink our alcohol'."

Sirius emerged with a bottle of fire whiskey in his hand.

"They can join us when they get back."

The teenage Harry watched as Sirius and Scarlet celebrated with his younger self. They danced and Sirius drank and they all laughed exuberantly. Harry was moved, it would take a heart of stone not be, the people he watched were so full of life and hope.

However despite this he could not shake the feelings of unease and unrelenting sadness, Harry realised this was for two reasons. Firstly he now saw the life he could have had if Sirius had not been wrongly accused, of course he would have still lost his parents and nothing could ever replace them but he would have grown up with two people that obviously loved him, and as he could now see, were like parents to him anyway. Harry would have known about magic and had some of the wonderful, life changes experiences he had witnessed over the last four years, all of his life. He would have been treated fairly; as opposed to the constant nuisance he was at the Dursleys'. But most of all he would have been allowed to know about his parents and talk about them and see how they really were when they were alive.

Nothing could describe the envy Harry felt for his parallel self, although he did not even exist.

The second reason for this feeling was that Harry knew what was coming and these characters in the memory had no idea. They were blissfully yet painfully unaware. He knew Scarlet died and Sirius nor anybody else had never mentioned a child so it seemed almost certain they died also. This moment of happiness, however great, was fleeting. Harry felt he would be betraying Sirius if he enjoyed it.

"Right Potter, I think you need to sit this one out, way too much excitement for one evening!"

Sirius put Harry in his cot in the corner of the room. He changed the music and 'Stand by Me' by John Lennon began playing.

As they danced, Sirius was unable to contain his happiness; he rested his forehead against Scarlet's so they were now touching from head to toe. They were so wrapped up in each other they almost looked like one person. As the spouses swayed so gently they reminded Harry of the ocean on a windless day, there was absolutely no effort in the movement almost as if their bodies were reacting to the music of their own accord and his godparents were simply not resisting it.

Sirius quietly sung along with the song:

"_When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see_..."

Later in life, when Sirius looked back on this night he realised it was the exact moment in time when he was at his happiest. It was also the moment before everything changed. After that night, due a certain prophecy, their world was no longer safe.

This was the moment before Sirius Black's life began to unravel.

As the scene transformed for the last time, Harry was so caught up in the lastest memory that it took him a moment to orientate himself. He was back in Sirius and Scarlet's cottage. It was night time; there was barely a light on in the whole house.

In the distance there was the horrendous sound of fighting, duelling but mostly despair. Harry couldn't describe it exactly but it was as if sorrow had clung to every particle in the air and it floated amongst the oxygen.

The war had begun.

Suddenly Scarlet emerged from the back room, she was pacing and had clearly been crying: her eyes were swollen, red and puffy and she had huge dark circles under them indicating she should be sleeping – but was not.

She wore a baggy green sweatshirt, clearly belonging to her husband; Harry recognised the garment that Sirius still had. Despite this concealment it was easy to tell she was heavily pregnant, in her last trimester. Scarlet kept running an agitated hand over the bump as she continued to stalk the length of the front room.

There was the loud bang of somebody apparating in outside the front door. Sirius stormed through in, he too had been crying and his hair and clothes were messy and torn.

"Where have you been?" Scarlet whispered through her tears.

He did not answer, instead he stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly ahead, shaking with anger.

"James and Lily... they're..." Scarlet swallowed, trying to gather herself. "Aren't they? They're..." She broke down in sobs, her face the picture of unadulterated agony.

"Yes." Sirius answered.

"And... Ha... Harry?" She could hardly bring herself to ask for the fear of what the answer may be.

"He's alive. I've taken him to Hagrid, Dumbledore will keep him safe."

Sirius' voice was monotone, surprisingly void of emotion. He had an eerily calm persona about him. Scarlet realised how dangerous this was. For the first time in her life she was scared of her husband.

She moved towards him slowly and cautiously, offering him her hand: "Siri..."

He slapped it away with a new found energy: aggression.

"I have to leave." He said turning toward the door and reaching for the handle, Scarlet dashed after him.

"What? Wait! No! Where?"

"Revenge."

The tone in which he spoke sent a million shivers spirally down her back. The slight pause in response allowed him to open the door, at the last possible moment she slipped herself in front of Sirius.

"No," Scarlet hissed, applying all of her energy in trying to keep her voice even or just audible at all. "Stay."

"It was Pettigrew!" Sirius suddenly exploded, screaming manically in her face, she did not flinch. "It was Peter, he betrayed them. He told where they were." As Scarlet realised what he was saying a look of utter bewilderment, unbelief, crossed her beautiful features. "It! Was! Pettigrew!" He shoved her into the door with each word as if he could literally bang the truth into her body. She crumpled to the floor, her grief over taking her muscles as she could no longer stand. "And I'm going to kill him." In an instance Sirius was back to scary serenity.

He stepped over the distraught body of his wife and walked through the door.

"No. Sirius please, stay! Please!"

The loud pop of her husband apparating silenced Scarlet's pleas.

She lay on the cold stone floor shivering and crying. She grabbed her stomach as a sharp pain invaded her abdomen, the baby was grieving too.

The last thing Harry saw before he was pulled out of the Pensieve was a circle of bright red blood pooling beneath his godmother as she cried on unaware of the further losses she about to encounter.


	6. Chapter 3

**I'm back already, now I'm back home with wi-fi (oh how I've missed it!) I'll probably be updating all the time.**

**This is just a short one to deal with the aftermath of Sirius' memories. It's another angsty one but they will get happier I promise!**

**R+R**

Chapter Three

Harry emerged from the pensieve and was back in dark room at Grimauld place. He was shivering, but not from the cold instead the mere rollercoaster of things he had just witnessed.

Sirius had a whole other life he never knew about; Harry had viewed him as his father's best friend, and then a father figure to himself. Harry had never viewed as a person, a person with a life separate to those roles. He was a husband. And a father, if fate had not been so cruel.

He suddenly felt guilty; he had done an injustice to Sirius by never asking about his past, not his past with James or as the marauder but _his _past.

Perhaps it was this emotion that tipped Harry over. Whatever it was before he realised it Harry was crying. Nothing dramatic, no sobbing or violent movements just quiet, graceful tears. Tears for a woman and child Harry wished, almost as much as he did for his parents, that their fortunes had been different. But mostly they were tears for the man upstairs that had had his whole life, wife, baby, best friend, freedom ripped away from him. These wounds on Sirius Black still gushed blood and life and there was not a bigger enough stitch in the world that could stop it.

Harry knocked tentatively on Sirius' door despite the fact it was wide open. Sirius sat on his bed pretending to read, it was clear he wasn't.

"May I come in?"

"Of course."

The older man's voice was thick with emotion. As Harry experienced the scenes for the first time, Sirius was forced to relive them and their impact was just as potent the second time around.

Harry stood awkwardly in the centre of the room for a few moments of agonising silence before Sirius gave up the pretence of reading, slamming the book down and offering a seat on the bed. Harry took it and began:

"The child?.. What happened to them?"

"It was a girl." Sirius' voice cracked and he took a moment to steady his breathing. "Frances. That's what Scar liked but I wasn't sure, it sounded..." He trailed off. "I don't know what happened to her. To my daughter or to my wife. They're gone."

Sirius' shoulders trembled with the force of his silent sobbing; Harry lay an arm around his godfather and cried too. There was no shame.

"I'm sorry... I'm so... sorry." Harry chocked.

After a few minutes, the crying had stopped and to tell the truth they both began to feel quite embarrassed. A completely unnecessary emotion of course.

"I would have liked to have known her." Harry filled the newly calm silence. "Both of them."

"She loved you so much, doted on you something stupid. You would have turned out so spoilt if she had been allowed to continue."

"I think I know that she loved me. I can... feel it somehow."

"Everything with Voldemort, she'd know exactly what to tell you to make you feel better, help you understand. She'd know."

"You're doing just fine, Sirius." Harry said sincerely and the two embraced.

In the next few days the Christmas preparation took over Grimauld Place and Mr Weasley finally came home which sent Mrs Weasley into an even further overdrive than she had been occupying before. Harry enjoyed spending the Christmas festivities with his friends and family, for once Christmas was about what it should be about and not how many presents Dudley got or how much food Vernon could eat.

However Sirius became more and more of a recluse, barely leaving his bedroom. When he did there was always a slight whiff on fire whiskey and he was wearing his bedclothes seemingly constantly. When Hermione pointed this out to Harry he had defended him forcefully, perhaps too forcefully and had to apologise. He had told Ron and Hermione about Scarlet, the rest of the order already knew about her, knew her before and Harry needed someone to talk to about everything. Although they were sympathetic, after getting over the initial shock, Harry soon realised he could not talk to them because they did not understand. They hadn't seen her. How alive and vibrant she was. How happy she made Sirius. Thus they didn't understand Sirius' behaviour now.

When Hermione had suggested that Sirius was living through them, encouraging Harry to fight Umbridge as he was stuck in hiding in his childhood house of horrors, Harry almost bit her head off.

"Just leave it, Hermione!" He'd yelled.

Nothing more was said on the matter.

It was a few days after Christmas and despite growing tension in the house Christmas day had actually been a big success. Mr Weasley had been in fine spirits and seemed to be recovering quickly. Sirius had been present throughout Christmas dinner and comforted Harry in his continued struggle to come to terms with the connection between himself and Lord Voldemort.

The more Harry learned of Sirius' family to more he understood that Scarlet and his parents had been his escape from that life and his real family. Apart from Harry he was all alone and the young wizard vowed to do everything in his power to stop his godfather feeling that way.

Ron and Harry were playing chess at the kitchen table whilst Hermione read nearby. Mrs Weasley was finishing the tidying away of the dinner things, with some magical help.

Sirius entered the kitchen and familiar smell of fire whiskey accompanied him, nobody had seem him all day and the longer he went with being sighted the worse the sight of him was when he emerged. He banged his dirty dishes down in the sink and began to try and clean them, to no avail in his half drunken stupor.

"I'll do that, dear." Mrs Weasley said trying to take the dishes from his hands and hurry him out so they Harry, Ron and Hermione would not see him in this state.

"Nah, ya alllright Mollie."

"Sirius," Mollie hissed, leaning closer to him to whisper and having to hold her breath in process. "The children should not see you when you're..."

"It's my h'use. I said I'm fine."

The slight raise in his voice made Ron stand, coming to his mother's side.

"It's alright mate," He reasoned. "She's only trying to help."

"Well I'm not one of her litter."Harry stood also, he pulled Sirius' arm but he would not budge. "Whatcha want Harry? I'm not your dad. I'm not anyone's father because my daughter is dead!"

"Come on, Sirius." Harry tried again, in vain, to move him.

"Get off! I don't want you. I don't want any of you... I want... I want _my _wife." He stopped abruptly trying to hold in his emotions. "That's all I want. All I ever wanted." He turned to Harry. "That's not too much to ask is it?" There was nothing but desperation in his eyes now.

"No," Harry whispered. "That's not too much to ask at all."

Harry silently helped Sirius from the room.


	7. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, subscribing and favouriting. Really do appreciate that you're enjoying it. This chapter is more movie universe than book as it has been a while since I read the book so couldn't really remember the details/exact dialogue etc. **

**This chapter is based around the fight in the Ministry of Magic at the end of OotP. Clearly AU.**

**R+R**

Chapter Four

Harry lay panting on the cold stone floor, still clutching the prophecy to his chest. The attack of death eaters seemed to be above his head, he lay on ground untouched by them. But as he slowly made it onto his shaky legs he realised this was not the case for his friends.

Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny stood surrounding him in a circle each with a death eater rooting them to the spot by means of force and the threat of their wands.

Lucius Malfoy was walking toward Harry saying something but Harry did not hear, he was desperately searching for an escape route, for his godfather, for an answer that would not end in his friends dying.

Malfoy stood in front of him now with a sickening grin on his face.

"Give up the prophecy now, or watch your friends die."

He extended his hand expectantly at Harry. Harry's eyes darted around the strange black brick room once more. It was no use he could see no way out. The walls seemed to be getting closer and closer, closing in around him until the prophecy would be literally squeezed from his fingers. The straining voice still rung in his head, _"Neither can live whilst the other survives."_ He knew what that meant. Deep down he had already accepted that this fight with Voldemort would be till the bitter end.

The boy who lived would emerge as either the boy who died or the boy who killed Lord Voldemort. The murderee or the murderer.

"Don't do it Harry!" Neville yelled nervously.

"Shhh," Bellatrix used her wand as a knife across his neck, daring him to say another word and watch the contents of his throat spring forth from their fleshy constraints.

After a few more moments of hesitation Harry finally glanced at the prophecy in his hand before passing it over to Malfoy.

He did not know why the Dark Lord knowing the content of that small crystal ball would make their current situation any worse. He who must not be named was already intent on killing Harry and the knowledge that it was now necessary to do so would bring ecstatic delight but not change anything. Harry suspected there were things about the prophecy he did not fully grasp, this included its gravity.

However the defeat of having to give up the foretelling ball, and consequently any power Harry had in the situation, came with the most disheartening of feelings; that this defeat was the first of many.

Malfoy took the ball and held it before him, a look of pure delight on his face as he awaited its mysteries to reveal themselves. There was a bright white glow and he looked like he might implode with joy, favours from the Dark Lord would be great for an act such as this.

The expectancy turned to impatience to growing concern and finally despair as the ball failed to produce anything at all. Malfoy saw Harry watching someone behind him and he turned just in time to hear to gruff, clear voice of Sirius Black:

"Get away from my godson!"

Sirius punched him across the face. He fell without a sound.

Flashes of light erupted as vast shadows over the dark walls, the order arrived and the death eaters disbanded. As the duelling began Sirius and Harry were thrown behind a rock, avoiding the flying curses from friends and foes.

"Listen to me," Sirius reached over to hold Harry by the shoulder. The touch was the most comforting experience Harry had ever encountered. He was not alone. "I want you to take the others and get out of here."

"No! I'm staying with you!"

"You've done beautifully." His eyes were shining with genuine pride. "Now let me take it from here."

Harry did not have the chance to argue back as the all sound was eclipsed by Malfoy's made cry:

"Black!"

Harry and Sirius began to duel with Malfoy and another death eater. Sirius blocked a spell heading for Harry and took out the other dark wizard without uttering a word. Harry watched in wonder, it was amazing seeing the order in action. The full force of good. And good was fighting tooth and nail.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, disarming Malfoy of his stick.

"Nice one James!"

Sirius responded without realising his slip. Standing there with the adrenaline pumping and feeling more alive than he had done his entire stay at Grimauld Place, it was as if time had ceased to exist and Sirius was once again a boy fighting alongside his best friend. Fighting for a future so full of hope.

The animagus shot a number of silent spells at Malfoy, disarming him of his wand and finally stunning him away.

Neither Harry nor Sirius saw Bellatrix as she apparated directly in front of them. Her voice echoed around the shiny surfaces, just another spell shouted in another duel but Harry could feel this one was different.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"No!" Harry bellowed simultaneously.

Time seemed to slow down as Harry saw the green energy sail effortlessly through the short space and toward Sirius. The killing curse. Harry was paralysed; his mind in this slowed time frame, able to see and comprehend what was about to happen but his body still in real time and unable to move fast enough. He was doomed to watch the last of his real family die.

At the final moment another whirl of white light rushed past Harry and disappeared taking Sirius with it. The spell blasted off the wall and the room began to crumble around the wizards and witches.

Bellatrix looked stunned for a moment before she realised what was happening and ran through one of the corridors. Harry was frozen with surprise also, he prayed Sirius was alright. He saw Bellatrix running from the room and chased, sending hap-hazard curses and stunning spells as he went. They darted around as she laughed at his failed attempts but he did not care.

He wanted revenge. She had tried to kill Sirius and although she was unsuccessful, Harry hoped, he still had anger boiling away beneath the surface of his skin. The instinct to protect was pumping in all of his veins and all of these impulses focused in on the threat to his family, running and screeching madly in front of him.

He sent another curse that bounced on the floor a centimetre behind her dress.

"Are you coming to get me?" She cackled.

The dark witch turned whilst running to send a spell at Harry; it was blocked but Harry fell regardless. They were in the main entrance to the ministry now and Bellatrix ran toward the fireplace portals.

She looked shocked and scared and Harry felt the same. He did not get the chance to block her spell as someone behind him had already done it. The same person that he could hear running toward them, the person Bellatrix was running from.

"Stupefy!"

The red light hit Bellatrix in the centre of the back and she fell instantly but remained conscious. Harry stilled instantaneously with shock, he recognised that voice and suddenly realised why Bellatrix had been so alarmed.

The figure of Scarlet Black stormed passed him, advancing on the quivering figure on the floor. Bellatrix reached for her wand but Scarlet silently sent it spiralling away. She reached her nemesis who was struggling to sit up, Scarlet pushed her flat to the ground with her boot, its heel digging in Bellatrix's left shoulder, the wand hovering over the tip of quivering woman's nose.

Harry struggled to his feet and stared in shock. It was Scarlet, he was sure, the memories Sirius showed him were burnt in his mind.

She had aged more than the 14 years since Harry had seen her in the pensieve but was still breathtakingly beautiful. Her curves had disintegrated to a slim figure and protruding bones, not her normal healthy figure. She wore a long purple cape and her hair was longer and unkempt.

Her demeanour had changed also, it was no longer carefree or refreshingly self-conscious-less but, like Sirius, she had a slight dangerous edge to her.

Life for Scarlet Black had been far from happy in the last decade and a half.

Bellatrix snarled up at the younger witch above her.

"Scarlet Black. Returned from the grave. '_Scar'_" She mimicked Sirius' voice. Scarlet shoved her wand forward and Bellatrix flinched backwards.

Scarlet turned as she noticed Harry twitch and writhe as the Dark Lord found the connection with him and invaded his mind.

"Harry?" Scarlet asked in concern. He did not answer.

The distraction allowed Bellatrix to free herself and find her wand. She sent a curse flying at Scarlet that she blocked just in time. The two witches began duelling ferociously.

Harry could feel Voldemort getting nearer, he was here. He looked at the witches, sprawled on the floor as each of their curses had met in the middle and the force pushed them back. Scarlet held his eye.

"Harry," She whispered.

He knew what Voldemort would do with her when he came.

"I'm sorry." She looked confused. "Stupefy!" The curse sent her into fireplace and she was transported out of the ministry.

Harry turned and raised his wand, he knew it was pointless but he had to try. Voldemort threw down his wand without exerting any effort at all, just as Dumbledore appeared in the grand fireplace.

Sirius was aware of something cold beneath his back but it did not feel like floor. In fact he felt as if he were floating. The last thing he remembered was hearing his vile cousin yelling the killing curse. Then he was being held by someone and through the mist he could make out familiar features. Big, circular auburn eyes, a small nose surrounded by dozens of soft freckles and petite yet full lips.

If this was dying, so far, Sirius liked it.

Slowly he became aware of more things, firstly his body – he could still feel his body. As bruised, battered and aging as it had been before. So much for disembodied existence.

He opened his eyes and at first all he could see was black. Yet as his vision cleared the blur he could make out stark white lines dividing the darkness. He was looking at bricks, the ceiling of a room somewhere in the ministry of magic. The cool sensation was in fact floor as he was lying flat on his back. He must have imagined floating as well as seeing _her _face as he was still in the bloody ministry this could not be heaven. Perhaps it was hell. Stuck in the ministry, hallucinating his wife's face for all eternity without ever be able to produce her properly. Plausible.

He quickly disregarded this thought though. If they really wanted to punish him they would have sent him back to Grimauld Place with nothing but the painting of his mother as company for infinity.

He slowly sat up. He must be going mad. Even as reality set in he could smell a mix of a little perfume but mostly natural sweetness as it invaded his nostrils.

The unique scent of Scarlet lingered in the air.


	8. Chapter 5 Part One

**To start with another thank you for all of the support and kind words for this fic!**

**This chapter is longer than I anticipated so it's going to have two parts; at least I think just two at the moment. **

**R+R**

Chapter Five – Part One

Sirius darted in and out of the identical black passageways trying to find Harry. He could hear noise in the distance, as he got closer Sirius realised it was the noise of a panicked, large group of people.

He finally made his way to the entrance of the ministry and saw said crowd hovering around a scene on the floor. The sound of cameras flashing and the quivering voice of Cornelius Fudge echoed around the grand building. He could tell that Harry was the focus of all the attention; his was the carcase these vultures were circling.

Sirius strode forward, completely uncaring of his own fate, into the middle of the people, desperately trying to see if Harry was alright. He only made it two steps before a hand on his bicep, clamped down like a vice, pulled him into the safety of the shadows.

"Are you made?" Lupin hissed, looking ruffled but not seriously hurt. "Fudge is right there! The entire magical press is right there! You'd be locked back up in Azkaban before you could even blink."

"Harry..." Sirius moved to release himself from his oldest friend's grip but the werewolf did not budge.

"Harry is fine. He's with Dumbledore and they're going to meet us in Hogsmeade, just as soon as they can get out of that circus."

Sirius held his eye for a moment, contemplating whether to fight or not. Even in human form Lupin possessed superior power and he was right – as usual. Sirius scowled. Being back in Azkaban was the last thing he or Harry needed. Besides he wasn't thinking straight, he could still smell Scarlet. He must have hit his head when wound up in that room. Although how, he was still not sure. He relaxed his shoulders as a signal to his defeat and Remus let go.

They both apparated to furthest fireplace and up out of the shoot without anybody noticing at all. The crowd was still fixated on Harry, barely conscious in Dumbledore's arms.

As Harry did come to he felt woozy and tired and had a splitting headache. The din of noise surrounding him did not help.

"That's it, slowly now." Dumbledore mumbled in encouragement.

Suddenly it all came back him. Voldemort had been ... _inside _him somehow. Possessed him. The feeling of nausea increased tenfold.

This feeling and all else was overridden as the other memories started to infiltrate his packed mind. Scarlet, he had seen her, he had cursed her.

She was alive.

He struggled to sit up, desperate to relay the knowledge to someone.

"Dum... Dumbledore..." He coughed. "Scarlet, I have to find her. I cursed her and she's alive. Scarlet Black is alive." He rambled loud enough so Dumbledore alone could hear, Harry's mentor gave a knowing smile and he couldn't help but think he wasn't being taken seriously. "Honestly I've seen her, she was..."

"I know," Dumbledore interrupted. Harry was even more baffled.

"I need to talk to Sirius."

/ / /

As Dumbledore and Harry apparated to the hill in Hogsmeade that over looked the school, Sirius ran forward immediately and embraced his godson.

"Harry, thank god!" He took Harry's head between his hands in a fatherly gesture, just as he had before he escaped with Buckbeak two years previous. "Thank god!" He repeated.

"Sirius, Scarlet's alive!" Harry blurted out with excitement; Sirius was frozen with shock for a moment as his mind processed what Harry was saying. He took a step backwards looking confused and unsure of how to respond. "I've seen her, she was the one who rescued you from Bellatrix's curse and then she came to help me! They were fighting, her and Bellatrix and then I could feel... _him, _Voldemort getting closer and I couldn't..." Harry stopped to catch his breath and there were suddenly tears in his eyes. "I couldn't let him kill her like he did Cedric, so I cursed her, I'm sorry but I cursed and she went up the fireplace and..." Harry was panting with the pace in which he was explaining, there were desperate tears streaming down his face. He was willing them to believe. "I don't know where she is, but..."

"Harry," Sirius started softly, there was no anger in his eyes but Harry could tell he did not believe him. "I can only imagine what you have been through tonight," He embraced the crying boy once more. "I want to believe that too, but..."

"I'm telling the truth!" Harry yelled pulling away from Sirius. "You believe me don't you?" He asked, turning to Dumbledore. "You said you knew it was true."

Sirius turned to Dumbledore also, a questioning look in his eye.

"Let's go inside." Dumbledore stated, giving nothing away in his voice.

Remus stood in the background looking torn. On one hand he knew he should return to the ministry and help sort things out there but on the other he was as intrigued and perplexed as Sirius in these recent turn of events and was desperate to seek the truth.

Dumbledore made the choice for him.

"Remus I think it would be best if you returned to the ministry and made sure the other students get back safely." Remus looked disappointed but he nodded and apparated out.

/ / /

In Dumbledore's office the three wizards sat, Harry in the corner shaking from the repercussions of the evening's events. All of the students were in bed and the three had managed to walk straight here without encountering another soul, fortunately, considering they had a felon with them.

"Harry is right, Sirius. Your wife is alive."

"Dumbledore that is absurd! You know as well as I do, better than I do the levels that were went too to try and find her. "

"Indeed. You know how fond of her I was. Consequently I did everything in my power to try and find her. I was unsuccessful. Naturally I, like yourself, believed that the only explanation was that she had been killed like James and Lily by Voldemort's forces. At least I did, before she walked into this room and sat exactly where you are now Sirius, about a year ago."

Sirius' face was set in a deep frown. He wanted, more than anything in the world to believe that he had been mistaken all this time. Just to entertain the idea, the possibility alone that she could be alive gave him more elation than he ever thought possible. But his reason told him this was impossible.

"You were still in hiding in Europe. And she was... she was delirious with prolonged hunger and thirst. She barely knew who I was, who she was herself."

Suddenly Sirius stood and almost exploded with anger.

"If she is alive then where has she been for the last fourteen years? Why did she not come to me? Where is she now? You are talking madness Dumbledore."

"The story is thrilling I can assure you. But it is Scarlet's alone to tell. " The headmaster remained completely calm in the face of this boiling rage. "I entrusted her care to a dear friend who has spent the year nursing her back to health, a slow and difficult task but one that was being completed with success. Truth to be told she is still meant to be there, resting now but as you can imagine as soon as Severus warned myself and the Order of yours and Harry's danger, she could not be contained."

Sirius stood in front of the desk, he was shaking with emotion but Harry could not tell if this was still anger or the realisation Dumbledore was telling the truth. Harry stood also and approached Sirius but did not touch him, afraid of what his reaction would be. Dumbledore continued:

"She is not quite strong enough yet but slowly she is returning to the vibrant young witch you married."

"The vibrant young witch that has abandoned her husband and godchild for all of this time." Sirius snapped.

"Azkaban is not the only prison in the world Sirius. Do not make the mistake of thinking she had stayed away due to her own choice. As for her current whereabouts I could not tell you. If Harry's account is correct and he stunned her into the portal she should have ended up where we did."

"If all of this is true..." Harry realised Sirius was trying not to cry, his shaking had increased so much he literally swayed. "You have kept the truth from me, made me go on believing that she... that she was..." Despite his strongest will, a single tear did slip down Sirius' face and the agony and torture within was clear to see. "How could you be so cruel? You have no idea what you put me through."

"I know..."

"No you don't know!" Sirius screamed, his voice tittering on deranged. "Most days I just wanted to join her in the ground. Join my wife and child and leave the living. Only I couldn't because there wasn't even a body to join! I've spent fourteen years trapped; first in Azkaban and then in that vile house. Harry was the only reason I didn't give up. I struggled to get out of bed every morning and all the time..." Sirius was openly crying now, the emotional force was impossible to stop and he was beyond grace or dignity.

Harry walked forward and placed a hand on his godfather's shoulder, he too was crying: "Sirius,"

"You may judge me as cruel." Dumbledore forced Sirius to meet his eye. "But I deemed it necessary and I stand by that judgement. Look at all Harry has achieved this year and it was because of your desperation to defeat these dark forces and your consequential encouragement and advice. Scarlet has also improved beyond belief. You may have lost your wife when it was not strictly necessary but Sirius you have found her again."

Sirius left the room without another word.

/ / /

Sirius wondered aimlessly trying desperately to clear his head, and failing. He found himself at the top of the astronomy tower. He couldn't help but think of all the times he and Scarlet had come here at their time at Hogwarts. They'd sit for hours on end and talk, just talk and laugh and think about the future.

He thought about their last night here and how much he had wanted her when they'd kissed. She'd told him that she had pretended they had done it here and that he was her first. He spent the beginning part of their relationship wishing that were true, that he was the only one to ever have the privilege of her, not that he deserved it. It wasn't till after they were married that Sirius realised it didn't matter that he wasn't her first because from that night on, in the dingy little pub of the eve of Lily and James' wedding, she had been his. He was more privileged than any man.

Until he had lost it all. The last time he saw her face, streaming with tears and contorted in agony, had haunted his dreams every night since. Well, every night he had gone to bed sober enough to maintain the capacity to dream. She had needed him and he had left. Hell-bent on revenge and unable to see anything else, including the impending danger to his wife and child. When he had stepped over her crumpled body he had deserted her to death.

That thought had been tearing him apart for the last fourteen years. Yet, at the same time, it was the one thing that kept him going. When he woke up every morning with the agonising pain that started in his heart and slowly spread to every fibre in his being, he knew, he knew he deserved to feel that way.

The idea that he had been wrong, that she was alive was astonishing to him. Sirius had spent so long living with the guilt it was inherent in him. He did not know how to deal with possibility of her existence and in it the possibility of redemption and, dare he think, happiness.

He suddenly became aware of another presence on top of the astronomy tower. They must have snuck up the stairs whilst he was deep in thought. He did bother to turn, assuming it could only be one person:

"Harry, please just let me be for a while. I... I can't... I just don't need another pep talk right now." The Marauder knew his words were harsh and he should not take out his emotional turmoil on the one innocent in all of this. Harry did not answer bar the stony silence that now ensued. "Harry I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." He stopped midsentence as he turned to encounter nothing but black emptiness. "Harry?" Not a sound. "Whoever you are I can assure I am not in the mood for games so..." Sirius almost sounded pleading now and he had no idea why. "Just come out, please."

Nothing could prepare for the sight that met him.

She was thinner, to thin and she looked she hadn't slept in a year. Some might say she was even unrecognisable to the force of life she had been previously. But Sirius would recognise that face, those eyes anywhere. He had been seeing them every night for last decade and half.

"Scarlet Black," Her voice trembled as she walked out from the shadows. "_Ravenclaw_." Scarlet tried to mimic the voice of their earlier joke but that, like so much else in the time that had past, had died.

Instead she simply smiled. It was a smile that held a dozen oxymorons; nervous and calm, weary and vibrant, dreading and unattainable joy. It was the most beautiful sight Sirius had ever witnessed.


	9. Chapter 5 Part Two

**Just a quick note to say this is not the last chapter, although after re-reading the last bit it does sound like that. But no, I have Scarlet's explanation and the 6****th**** and 7****th**** books yet to come. **

**R+R**

Chapter Five – part two

Scarlet felt so vulnerable standing before him now. She had no idea how he would react, did he even know the truth yet? Of course her biggest fear was rejection but for some stupid reason she began to panic of no reaction at all, that he simply would not care that she was back.

It was no exaggeration to say the look on her husband's face broke her heart: confusion and pain.

She had longed and dreamed to be reunited with him for so long. First from the empty room in the home that had been her prison all this time and then the anguish as his face began to fade due to poison drip in her arm and their poison words in her ear. Eventually she had welcomed the nothingness. Then, finally having the will to escape, the need had been reignited as the memories came flooding back. Dumbledore had persuaded her she needed more time and she had listened. There was no time left now, the moment had come.

Scarlet was crying, something in her old life she had always hated doing. It was a sign of weakness and she was not weak. It was after spending the first years of her entrapment doing little else but crying that she could now stand and felt no shame in the droplets that fell from her round eyes.

He was crying to, although the clench of his jaw indicating he did not want to be.

All of a sudden he was bounding towards her and she had no idea if she was to receive an embrace or punch once he reached her. It was prior but with all the force of the latter as he clung to her, she clung back just as hard. His fingers traced every bone and freckle on her face as if he had to check she was actually there and not just a figment of his imagination. His fingers felt rough and weathered but their touch was the same and she shivered and arched into it.

And they were kissing. Much like their first kissed in that exact spot it was not clear who had initiated it. Sirius tasted purer than the water she had craved for and she drank until her stomach was bursting full.

They reluctantly pulled apart panting and leaning on each other so much that if one moved the other would fall. Scarlet's face now homed more tears and not all were her own.

"I... I have so many questions." He whispered, still gazing at her as if she might evaporate into the air at any moment.

"I've got a lot of answers." He nodded and kissed her again. "I've seen Harry," She said when they parted many moments later. "He is stunning. So like James but Lily also, her eyes and her spirit. It's like looking at their ghosts. He knew Voldemort was coming somehow, he... he saved me. Pushed me away to face him on his own."

"He knows everything, I showed him in the Pensieve." Sirius' voice was rasp and croaky.

She tucked her fingers inside the open collar of his shirt to feel the warm flesh beneath. Now she was home. The material moved to reveal his prison number, branded across his chest. Underneath it, barely visible was the delicate scrawl of an older tattoo: _Scarlet _in black italics straight across his heart. She ran a hand over it and he shivered.

"I remember when you got this," She whispered, although it was not strictly necessary too. "You said that I couldn't say no to your proposal because you'd spent the rest of your life with another woman's name across your heart, and that wouldn't be fair on the brainy girl that did say yes."

Sirius smiled and said: "Yeah and you said that I could just fake a deep affinity with the colour red."

She laughed aloud, oh how he had missed that sound; low, disjointed and liberating. They had stopped crying now and the strain of emotion became prominent in their muscles. The couple literally sagged.

"I thought you were dead." He stated earnestly. "Nobody could find you and we assumed you and the child were..."

"Somebody did find me. It was just the wrong person."

"And our daughter?"

The untainted hope in his voice caused a fresh pain, constricting her chest. She could not utter the words instead she simply shook her head unable to even meet her husband's eye as she knew the grief that would lie there.

"I'm sorry," he uttered in a strangled whisper and, if it were possible, he held on to her even tighter. "It was my fault."

"No..."

"I shouldn't have left that night. I condemned our child to her fate."

"Siri, maybe you shouldn't have left but I understand why you did. What Pettigrew did to James and Lily... and Harry. Of course you wanted revenge. You were defending your friends and godson."

"But not my own family." He broke away from her suddenly feeling too tainted and guilty to touch her. "It would have been so different if I had stayed. We..." He took a deep breath. "We would have been a family, we'd have a child and Harry would have grown up with people who actually loved him."

"You don't know any of that for sure."

"Yes I do."

Scarlet walked forward and leaned across the railings staring out into the silent night. He studied her in profile, the moon reflected in her translucent skin. Skin that looked stretched too far over bone and muscle as if at any moment it would tear.

"What happened?" He asked suddenly. "Where have you been? Why do you look like you've...?" He stopped unable to finish the sentence in fear he may have to think about somebody hurting her.

"I agree it's not my best look but I'm working on it." She smiled but it did not reach her eyes, Sirius was not convinced for a second.

"Scar..." He warned.

Her insides flipped when he said that, just like they always had. The way he grounded each sound between his teeth and held onto the word until it faded to a breathy silence.

"Do you remember when we used to always sneak up here?" She asked, completely changing the subject. "Everybody thought we were up to something. Shame we weren't really." He remained silent. "You were too busy chasing every girl that looked at you."

"And you were too busy ignoring the obvious." She arched her eyebrow in an unspoken question. "That I was only chasing those girls to make you jealous."

He looked at her then in a way which somehow made everything else alright. He looked at her like he used too when they sat here and how he did on their wedding day. Scarlet realised it was a loving look. With that revelation, that he still loved her, everything became manageable and not an endless, dark abyss. She knew things would be alright, somehow, despite the fact that they had 14 years to make up for and she had a godson that probably hated her for deserting him and the Dark Lord was back and it appeared stronger than ever. Despite all these things she was back next to Sirius, things would be alright.

They both heard footsteps on the stairs and started to panic. The most wanted escaped prisoner in the world and a supposed long-dead Witch is not what one would except to find when taking a late night stroll.

However it appeared that this was exactly what the wanderer was expecting. Harry Potter emerged at the top of the stairs looking tired, upset but mostly elated. He rushed forward to his godmother's embrace.

"Scarlet. I knew it was you, I knew you were the one that saved Sirius." He pulled back to look into her eyes as they began to fill with tears. "I'm sorry I stunned you, I just..."

"No shush, don't be stupid, you probably saved my life. I'm sorry you had to face _him _alone."

"I didn't, Dumbledore came."

"Good," She whispered. "You're so good, and heroic and brave. And grown-up. God, the last time I saw you, you could barely walk." Harry smiled, still unable to believe she was alive. "And I'm also sorry I haven't been around to witness you become all of those things, or to help you through it all. Although clearly you didn't need it."

"I did. All my life all I wanted was a family and then when Sirius escaped I finally had it. Now it's complete."

They hugged once more.

"We have to go," Sirius interrupted and Harry looked like he had just realised he was there. "It's not safe for me here. I should return to Grimauld Place."

"I'm coming too."

"What about school?" Scarlet asked, Harry smiled at how quickly she had taken on the maternal role.

"It finishes tomorrow anyway."

Scarlet looked over at Sirius and asked:

"Am I welcome too?"

He did not answer but simply walked over and took her hand. The three of them walked out of Hogwarts together and in the distance the distinctive pop of apparition could be heard as a family made their way home.


	10. Chapter 6

**R+R **

Chapter Six

Sirius entered the front room with a tray of tea. He had paused to think on the way from the kitchen and realised that this was absurd, making tea and sitting in the living room as if an old friend had just popped over. They were being so civilised, so twee. He had no idea what else to do. So Sirius brought the tea, made the tea and served the tea.

"I'm sorry about my mother," He muttered as he passed a cup and saucer to Scarlet.

"Are you also sorry about this tea set pattern because it's equally offensive." She joked.

"And equally her."

They smiled at each other and Harry saw the visible spark pass between them. Chemistry was being reignited. As the more time went by Scarlet was becoming the bright, witty, confident woman Harry had seen in Sirius' memories.

They were referring to the portrait of Walburga Black that had, of course, screamed insults and outrage at the 'mudblood' that was in her house.

"Anyway it was nice to finally meet her." Scarlet was trying to be sincere, and failing. She sipped her tea quietly and the three fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. "So here it at last, your family home." Sirius nodded. "And I understand you've been staying here, using it for the Order?"

"Staying... kept here more like. I'm a wanted man remember." He did not sound bitter but exhausted, as if he were physically tired of the house.

"You must have been going mad. You hate it here."

"No madder than 12 years in Azkaban sends you, darling."

Scarlet look empathetic and questioning but did not ask anything, instead she put down her tea and sat up straight as if preparing for something.

"So I guess you want it then?" She asked. "The whole ugly story?"

"Dumbledore said it was thrilling." Harry murmured, speaking for the first time since Sirius had re-entered the room.

"Maybe thrilling to hear, not so thrilling to live through."

Harry looked away ashamed at his lack of tact.

"Don't feel bad Harry, she was never forthcoming with information."

"I'm trying Siri..." Scarlet warned in a tone he recognised so completely, she was telling him to back off.

"If you don't want me to be here I can leave..." Harry offered.

"No I need you to hear this too, to understand why I haven't been here. I didn't abandon you Harry." Scarlet stated.

"No! I don't think that for a second."

"I do." Sirius stated with equal certainty as his wife.

She scowled. The 'don't start' message had clearly not got through or was immediately ignored, more likely.

So, with the gaze of the two men she loved most in world fixed upon her face and searching for answers, she began:

"After you left me that night to find Peter I started to bleed and I... I didn't know what to do. I wasn't thinking straight I was so consumed with grief and fear for you and for you Harry. I didn't go to the hospital like I should have..."

Reminiscing memories of that terrible evening and the loss of her child brought so many emotions. She had blocked out the events for so long she thought they may be difficult to recall, grey, as if the details had faded into the back of her mind. They hadn't. She could remember every insignificant detail as if it were yesterday, crystal and painfully clear. Barely into the story and she was crying.

"I just wanted comfort. Everything was suddenly unbearable, even breathing hurt and it was like there wasn't a safe place in the world. I knew I wouldn't be able to find you Siri so I went to only other person that could offer any solace at all. My mother. I hadn't seen her since the wedding, you knew how she felt about magic and you and the fact we were bringing a magical baby into the world. She thought we were tainting God and producing the devil's heir or something. But I knew she'd help me and she did. She took me to the hospital but it was too late for our baby girl..." Scarlet was sobbing but refused to stop. "When I woke up they said they had already taken her away to be prepared to be buried. They w... wouldn't even let me see her. I don't know how long I'd been out but it was many days and when she came to see me she brought me The Daily Prophet and it had you... you r picture."

She took deep shuddering breaths and regained some control. Neither man interrupted, knowing she needed to get it out in one hit.

"My mother took great joy in telling me the story, how'd you killed those muggles and betrayed James and Lily and I tried, I tried so hard to get her to believe the truth but she said I was... delirious or confused or something. I was so weak from the miscarriage I couldn't leave. It was like she'd gone mad. She looked deranged or brainwashed by that sadistic cult. And she said I deserved, that our baby deserved..."

Sirius clenched his jaw in contained anger.

"That it was our punishment for defying God with dark magic and... and you killing those people. She actually believed our baby deserved to die, I knew she was wrong. Even through the grief and pain and separation I knew she was wrong but I thought it was my fault. That I'd failed my daughter."

"No!" Harry almost shouted, causing both his godparents to jump. "It wasn't your fault! That gargoyle was manipulating you to feel that way!"

"Harry..." Sirius stopped unsure of how to continue.

"When I was ready to be released she started talking about this place, retreat I think she called it. Said these women would help me feel better and cleanse all the evil out. I wanted to go. I agreed to it."

Scarlet was crying again now as the full force of the revelation hit her. Sirius and Harry did not understand, yet. Scarlet had agreed to her imprisonment for all of those years, she had walked into it willingly. She did abandon Harry.

"There were nuns but it wasn't a convent it was an... an asylum... it was hell on earth. All the women screaming all day and all night... screaming to go home... screaming for their children, their dead children. I thought they were mad. But I became them. Just another screaming mad woman in an asylum. The more I fought the more they punished me, firstly by taking my possessions and then stopping my meals and showers. I still fought. So... so after I don't know how long, it could have been weeks or years. Finally they had had enough and took me to the solitary wing. I remember thinking it was so peaceful there. No screaming. No noise at all. That was because the people were sedated most of the time and barely feed. They were dying, bit by bit, just giving up."

"You don't... you don't have to go on..." Sirius whispered as wiped at his eyes. She nodded mournfully.

"Yes I do. I was sedated and it made me begin to forget. I welcomed that. Isn't it awful? I wanted to forget your face and the feel of my daughter kicking and the sound of Harry's laughter. It was like staring into a black hole day after day. Finally I found the comfort I needed and it wasn't my mother but... numbness... nothingness."

"How did you escape?" Harry asked.

"Eventually I became their perfect inmate and did everything they said. Believed everything piece of shit theology they shoved down my throat. Renounced my evil ways and praised the Lord for salvation. They let me back into the rest of the horror house and even gave me back privileges, not that I used them. One treat, if you'd performed a trick particularly well, was to read the paper. Not the Daily Prophet of course but muggle news. It had exploded with reports of the British Prime Minister being called away in a time of economic crisis. They disappearance was suspicious and I knew it must have something to do with the Wizarding World. Then one of the new inmates, fresh blood, so innocent, she told me that 'notorious mass murderer' Sirius Black had escaped."

She looked briefly at her husband but found it too hard so returned her eye line to the coffee table.

"The bottom of my world fell out. It was like I'd hit a wall that was blocking all the memories and I'd hit it with such force it had come crashing down and the memories came flooding into my parched mind. The damn had been broken. I knew I had to escape... somehow. It was like a whole new surge of life, that I'd been revived. I was still weak but I started to only pretend to take my daily pills and hide them in my room. I didn't know how it would help but at least my mind was my own again. Once my roommate found out she begged me to give her the pills, so she could end it all. She'd been... tor... tortured by Voldemort in the War and it had left her... scarred. Shunned from society she had come there to find acceptance and instead they'd blame her for all that had gone on and mocked the death of her husband as justice. She just wanted to join him. So I did give her them and she over dosed and the place erupted in chaos. Whilst everyone was distracted I went to toilet and climbed into the ceiling. I crawled alone until I found the only part where the stench of stale piss and despair had not seeped through the cracks. Their staff room. Of course it was empty, all hands on deck at the helm of the crisis so I took a uniform and they're ID card."

Sirius smiled, he couldn't help it. Despite the horror he had just heard and the anger and anguish being played out in his heart, he smiled. Scarlet Black, his wife, was brilliant.

"They didn't even see me. I just walked out the door. Then I ran, just ran until I found somewhere I recognised. I got to Hogwarts and to Dumbledore."

She took a deep breath and visible relaxed. Harry rushed forward and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm... I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I came back for you, as much as I did Sirius. You're my family."

"And you're mine." Harry beamed. "I have a proper family. I..." He looked round room trying to think of an excuse to leave them alone. "I'm going to make more tea!" He sounded much happier at the prospect of making tea in the early hours of the morning, than anyone ever had before.

As he left Sirius looked across at his wife with a new found respect and reinvigorated love. She sat in the chair in front of the window and the moon shone behind, she looked glowing.

"So the biggest arse goes too..." Sirius looked at her with all the guilt and regret shining in his eyes. "I had no idea."

"Just how I have no idea what it was like in Azkaban all those years."

"As far as the screaming and pain goes... pretty similar. Come here," She rose and came to stand over him. He looked her up and down, studying every element of her being. Her knees trembled and when they finally gave way he pulled her down onto his lap. "I love you." He said as if it were the most simple thing in the world. "I've always loved you. I've spent the last 14 years loving you and thinking I'd never be able to tell you."

"I love you too." She whispered.

"I know things are complicated. They're different and everything is so messed up. All I know is today has been the best day of my life and I have spent way too long being apart from you and never intend be apart from you again. So wife, do you fancy still being my wife?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

From the kitchen Harry heard a sound he had never experienced before. His godfather was laughing. Not the demented laugh of an insane escaped prisoner but the laugh of a fulfilled and contented husband.


	11. Chapter 7

**I think from now on the chapters are going to be more film universe than book because these seem to be a lot fresher in my mind. It's all AU anyway so I'm using my creative license. **

**Thank you for all of the reviews! They really are encouraging.**

**Please R+R**

Chapter Seven

Despite the dark times that had happened at the end of the school year, the summer was turning out to be best Harry had ever had. He'd moved into Grimauld Place permanently after turning up at the Dursleys with Sirius to collect the little belongings he had there. They couldn't have waved him out of the door quicker and Harry was more than happy to oblige.

It seemed with each passing day Scarlet was getting stronger and happier. Lupin had saved many items from their old cottage that he had felt unable to give to Sirius for fear of the pain it would bring. Now Scarlet was back, much to everyone's surprise, he presented it to them at the first opportunity. Scarlet had set it as her goal to turn the house into a proper home and not the dungeon it currently resembled. This caused much screaming from the portrait of Walburga but Harry thought Scarlet secretly enjoyed that. She liked someone to give her as good as they got, that's probably why she married Sirius.

Sirius too was changing day by day. Gone was the drunk, depressed mess and back the young, mischievous man Harry had glimpsed in his memories. Although it was clear that the entrapment in this house still played heavily on Sirius' heart, the presence of his wife turned the prison into an oasis.

They continued to use the house for gatherings of the Order and these became more frequent as the number of disappearances and disturbances did. Even with the new found vigour and happiness a dark shadow still hung over the place. Still there was nothing Harry could do just now so for the first time ever he was going to enjoy his holidays.

/ / /

Sirius wandered down the stairs with a smirk on his face for no particular reason, this seemed to be a regular occurrence these days. He stood in the doorway and watched Scarlet prepare things in the kitchen. She reached up to grab something and her slinky night shorts rode up giving him a pleasant view of creamy skin. Now she was eating properly or more accurately making up for the last 14 years, Scarlet had started to fill out her curves again and because she was sleeping well the gaunt, dark circled face had been replaced with a glowing smile that made her look 10 years younger.

Sirius couldn't keep his hands off of her. He wondered if there would ever be a time that he looked at her and didn't want to do what he wanted to do now. He hoped not.

Sirius walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, burying his head in her neck and kissing along her shoulder.

"Mmm, you are wearing too many clothes." As his hand reached under her shorts she giggled but leaned away from him.

"Harry's awake."

"Well he's not here."

"I'm making him breakfast."

He took a step back and studied her.

"I had notice that you were being active in the kitchen. I assumed hell had frozen over."

"Ha!"

"You never made me breakfast." He sounded like a spoilt school boy.

"That's because I don't like you as much."

She squealed as he tackled her to ground and attacked her with a barrage of sloppy kisses.

"Siri!" She laughed, writhing under his grip as kneeled above her. "Stop it, st...Siri..."

"Fine." He mock pouted. "I'll make my own coffee. It'll taste better anyway."

She brought up her knee suddenly and it collided with his groin.

"Oooow... Scar..."

Scarlet stood up triumphant and returned to the cooking.

"Sirius! Sirius!" Harry's excited voice carried along the dark, gloomy corridors of the house. He rushed into the room and stopped suddenly as he almost tripped over Sirius still cowering on the floor. "Sirius?" He asked in a completely different tone: concern. Sirius gingerly made it to his feet.

"It's alright; just another case of domestic violence." Scarlet laughed aloud and retorted:

"Oh yeah, you're an abused man."

"Have you seen the paper?" Harry asked thrusting it into his godfather's hands. Sirius gazed inquisitively at Harry and turned toward the paper.

His mug shot was branded across the front page and the bold letters read: '_BLACK NOT GUILTY_'. Sirius read the paragraph beneath:

'_In light of recent revelations it appears that one Peter Pettigrew, believed to be dead, is in fact alive. Not only has he deliberately deceived the Wizarding community but it also appears that Pettigrew has been an trusted alley of He Who Must Not Be Named this entire time. It is now believed that on the night of the 31__st__ October 1981 Pettigrew brutally murdered 12 muggles and then mutated his own hand, cutting off a finger to trick everybody into believing he was dead. Due to the overriding new evidence it now appears Sirius Black is innocent of all charges previously brought against him and is no longer a wanted man..._'

Sirius sunk to his knees still clutching the paper so hard his knuckles were white. The shock had taken over his body and he could not ever hear the concerned mutterings of Harry and Scarlet. His wife rushed to his side and read the article of his shoulder. Her voice was thick with emotion:

"Siri, this means you're..."

"Free. I'm free."

At once Sirius exploded with action, jumping up and laughing almost manically, uncontrollably. He wrestled Harry into a bear hug and then turned and lifted Scarlet straight off the floor as he spun her round.

"We have to go out and celebrate!" Harry beamed, equally as joyous. "We can go anywhere you like Sirius, anywhere!"

"Where do you want to go?" Scarlet inquired still clinging on to his arm.

"Somewhere big and open with loads of grass and trees and not a bloody wall in site!" Sirius decreed.

/ / /

They had chosen Hyde Park and spent the whole morning just laying there, playing Frisbee and eating the picnic Scarlet had prepared. The sun was shining and the day couldn't be more glorious.

Sirius lay on the blanket and watched Scarlet and Harry wander over to buy ice creams. It was surprising of how much of normal life he had forgotten, the smell of newly mown grass or the feel of warm sunshine as it hits your face, the sound of children's laughter as they played in the sun. He'd forgotten that Scarlet's freckles seemed to multiple almost endlessly as soon as she stepped out into the sun and with the warmth she always wore something that showed off her perfect shapely legs.

Today was untouched perfection.

After they'd raced with the humidity to eat their ice creams before they melted, the trio opted for some sightseeing and headed for the millennium bridge. It was then Sirius' perfect day became warped.

The muggles seemed not to be able to see the black, whirling streams of energy as they raced toward the bridge but Scarlet did.

"Shit!" She whispered.

Harry could not believe his eyes as the bridge began to bend and snap as if were made of malleable plastic. The screams of terror tore right through Harry as people literally clung for their lives whilst a brave few attempted to run to safety. London could only watch on in horror, it was almost as if they were watching a great action film; the special effects were unbelievably good. But this was real and so was the terror pulsing through every man, woman and child that witnessed it.

Before she could stop him Sirius had disappeared and much brighter, white ghost-like substance joined its black counterparts.

"Harry you need to get out of here!" Scarlet yelled over the noise of the surrounding crowds.

"No! I can help..."

"I'm not asking you Harry I'm telling you. Voldemort's army is here and so is the one defenceless boy he is after!"

"I'm not..."

"Just go!" Scarlet pleaded. "For me. Apparate back the house and we will meet you there, I promise."

"I can't Apparate on my own yet, we haven't learnt that."

They both jumped as the hideous sound of metal snapping off of its hinges ringed throughout the air. Scarlet gazed up looking for her husband but could see anything but the spray of water as the bridge crashed into the Thames.

"Get the tube to Richmond, there is an underground cafe there. Wait and hide. I'll come and find you as soon as I can."

With that Scarlet too shot up to the sky and another white light raced over the crumbling bridge.

/ / /

Harry smiled sheepishly and once she had left checked his breath in his hand. It was not good. He stuffed a mint into his mouth.

He'd gone to the cafe just as Scarlet had told him and waited. And waited. And then waited some more. It was now 10.30 and still no-one had come. Harry was reading the Prophet for some form of entertainment; already the front page had turned itself into coverage of the bridge collapse and erased the declaration of Sirius' innocence. Then the girl had come over and Harry had somehow managed to flirt, successfully, he concluded. He hadn't meant to ask her out tonight but Scarlet might return within the next half hour and reveal everything is fine then Harry could enjoy the night.

"Little late for the mint, don't you think?" Harry nearly hit the roof as the voice of his godmother interrupted his thinking. She was sitting opposite him at the table with a knowing smirk of her face. "Not that it seemed to matter. Very smooth, nice touch with Harry Potter tosser. You're your father's son alright."

"What's going on?" Harry demanded. "Where's Sirius? You've been hours."

"Sorry Mum!" Scarlet mocked, then turned more grave. "This is messy Harry."

"_He _is getting stronger. Growing more confident." She nodded solemnly, knowing exactly who _He _was.

"It's a message, not just to us but to the muggle leaders as well." Harry looked down, deep in thought. "Come on, there's someone that needs to see you."

He followed Scarlet to the door. He waited until the blur of the train had whizzed past and then he saw it. Looking most out of place against the French perfume advert in the background, Dumbledore stood, perfectly still almost resembling a statue, over the other side of the platform.

Harry smiled and reached for the door but Scarlet stopped him.

"Listen, Sirius and I have to go away for a couple of days. Order business. Dumbledore will see you right." Harry looked disappointed, he couldn't help it. "Don't worry Harry; I will see you before you get on that train."

He smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming back, for making everything better." She nodded and left the cafe to greet Dumbledore.

/ / /

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the twins' joke shop and walked down the deserted Diagon Alley, taking in the dilapidated surroundings.

"I don't know how Fred and George are doing it, half of the Alley has closed down!" Hermione sounded exasperated.

"Fred reckons people need a life right now." Ron explained.

Harry had stopped listening as soon as he saw Scarlet standing on the corner next to a deserted shop. It had been a week since he had seen her in the train station.

"Scarlet," He said rushing over. "What's going on?"

"Is that your only way greeting me recently?"

"I'm sorry, how are you?"

"Fine, thank you."

"Good. What's going on?" Scarlet laughed.

"Lots of things Harry. Nothing you need to worry about yet." She paused. "So, here's my mother piece: are you sure you've got everything you need?" She asked in her best motherly tone, Harry smiled.

"As much as we can get."

Scarlet looked around at the Alley.

"I know, it's depressing isn't it. You can't blame people for being scared. Still you've got the Weasley's joke shop. Your dad and Sirius would have spent hours in there."

"Where is Sirius?"

"He and Lupin are sorting a few things out. It's safe to say he is enjoying his newfound freedom. He wanted me to give you this." She produced a letter and handed it to Harry. "And _I_ wanted to give you this."

Scarlet handed him a package wrapped in brown paper, as he unwrapped Harry was holding two silver figurines: one of a stag and one of a doe.

"Dumbledore rescued these from your house in Godrics Hollow. It was my wedding present to your parents; I can't believe they'd actually kept them."

"They're beautiful." Harry said earnestly.

"They were their Patronus'. I thought it might be like having a bit of them with you."

"Thank you!"

"I have to go. I guess I'll see you at Christmas. Would it be too embarrassing to write?"

"No." Harry smiled, if only she knew of all the years he had watched enviously as the other students received letters and gifts from home.

"Then I will. Only if you write back."

"I will."

They embraced and Scarlet apparated out.


	12. Chapter 8

**Please R+R**

Chapter Eight

The burrow hummed with activity on Christmas day as Harry, Sirius, Scarlet, Remus and Tonks joined the Weasley's to celebrate together. Molly was at her happiest running around after everybody and filling them till they were stuffed to burst with the best food Scarlet could ever remember tasting. It was now the evening and the guests were weary with food and contentment, that was except for the twins that were as always up to no good.

There were two other guests that did not join the rest to snooze by fire but instead snuck away up to the second floor. Scarlet followed Sirius into one of the older brother's room that was acting as their guest bedroom for the night.

Scarlet wore a festive red dress that now was a matching shade of her flushed skin due to the laughter and alcohol she had consumed today. She had not celebrated a Christmas in over a decade, in fact she had got accustomed to not even knowing when it was Christmas and had almost forgotten the concept until she came here and remembered how joyful it could be. Sirius had looked at his most relaxed. Although over the past months he had almost become the man she had married there was still constant worry over the Order and she knew he missed Harry as much as she did. Still, they had managed to spoil their godson sufficiently today.

Sirius turned around as Scarlet began playing with the hem of her knee-length dress, hitching it further and further up her thigh whilst giving him that face she knew drove his insides crazy. He took a sharp intake of breath and prayed it would stop him ravishing her right there and then.

"That is most distracting."

"Good," She purred.

"You know, I don't remember you being this..." He stopped before he said what instantly came to his mind. Despite the alcohol she would probably still hit him if he called her easy. "This... forward... when you were drunk."

Scarlet laughed, knowing precisely what he was actually thinking.

"Nice save. Come on, you bundled me up the stairs when no one was looking, what exactly were you thinking?"

"Clearly nothing quite so sorted!" He mocked. From under the bed he presented a large brown box and placed on the mattress. "I just wanted to give you your present." She couldn't help but look intrigued yet remained where she was.

"We've already done presents." Her tone was suspicious and Sirius remembered why he'd always been amused by her intoxicated persona.

"We've done presents for this year." He clarified. "These are for the 14 years I missed."

He opened the lid of the box to reveal 14 individual wrapped presents. Scarlet squealed with delight and rushed forward. She took her time, unwrapping each one slowly and individually, being, quite frankly, shocked at his thoughtfulness. The presents included 'Stand by Me' by John Lennon on vinyl and she smiled remembering that night with Harry, it almost felt like another life so much had passed since. There was a necklace with a stark black diamond – her birthstone – it was as striking and individual as she was. There was also a beginners book in magical baking.

Scarlet leaned her head back on Sirius' shoulder and sighed as she finished looking at the last present:

"This is amazing, thank you. You can be quite sweet when you try." She looked over her presents sprawled on the covers. "I don't want to picky but, that old problem with maths may have reared its head again... There are only 13 presents here."

"I wonder how long it would take."

She turned to face him and opened his shirt to reveal his tattooed chest, the old marking over his heart that had been so faded now stood out over the all the rest with reviving black ink. Another word had been added underneath in the same slanted scrawl: _forever_.

"Scarlet Forever." She repeated, then seemed to turn sombre. "I wish that were true. We've been married for 15 years and spent 14 of them apart. I guess it's more like Scarlet Sometimes."

"No, it's forever. It will be forever and it has been forever, in here." He pointed to his tattoo and the heart that beat beneath. "I told you before, don't you remember? You're the girl on my arm and you always have been."

The scene turned into a lustful haze of open kisses, exploring hands and heavy breathing. That was until raised voices vibrated through the floor boards and interrupted the muted air.

/ / /

Sirius and Scarlet descended the stairs and came to the living where Harry, Arthur, Remus and Tonks were seated. Remus was clearly agitated.

"It comes down to who you trust. I trust Dumbledore's judgment, Dumbledore trusts Snape. Therefore I do!" Lupin had raised his voice and Arthur and Tonks looked increasingly uncomfortable.

"Dumbledore can make mistakes, he said so himself." Harry persisted.

"You are blinded by hate!" Remus roared.

"No..."

"Yes you are!"

"Moony..." Sirius interjected and they all turned in surprise at his presence. "This is all a bit heavy for Christmas day isn't it?" Sirius tried to lighten the ever darkening atmosphere. Lupin did not take any notice and continued:

"People are disappearing daily. We can only trust a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves we're doomed."

At this Tonks stood suddenly and left, visibly upset, Lupin followed. Arthur and Sirius also departed, deep in thought.

"You alright?" Scarlet asked.

"Yeah, fine." Harry replied briskly.

Scarlet watched as Ginny joined Harry on the sofa with a plate of biscuits, she smiled at the blossoming thing between the two. Catching Harry's eye she winked and turned away.

/ / /

Later that night Harry found his godfather sitting alone outside the front of the house, he was relaxing in an old wooden rocking chair, sipping his drink. He looked peaceful and Harry still revelled in seeing him like this.

"Mind if I join you?"

Sirius turned and smiled, indicating the chair opposite him.

"Thought I'd escape the tension. I'd give you one..." Sirius indicated to the fire whiskey. "But Scar would kill me."

"That's alright."

"I'm sorry about Remus, it's his condition, it..."

"I know, that's Arthur said too."

"Ah yes, saw you two skulking off earlier."

"He was telling about that thing Draco was looking at in Borgin and Burkes, you know what I wrote to you about. He said it was a vanishing cabinet."

"What would Malfoy want with one of those?" Harry shook his head. "What about these meetings with Dumbledore you wrote about? Are they proving... useful?"

Harry paused, unsure of how much to reveal to Sirius. Of course he wanted to tell him all of it but Dumbledore had warned to keep it secret, except for Ron and Hermione. Although not intending to, in the end, he did tell Sirius practically everything.

"I'm looking at memories, Voldemort's past I guess. Dumbledore's given me a... a task of sorts. It's all to do with Slughorn. He's brought him back for a specific reason or a specific memory."

"You shouldn't tell me anymore." Harry looked up, shocked. "Of course I want to know more Harry, I want to help, do it for you even, to protect you. But this is your task; Dumbledore trusts you, alone, with it. The more people know the more danger it poses. Maybe that's something you need to learn about Snape..." Harry looked completely dumbfounded now. "Don't get me wrong I'm not defending the man! If you ask me he's still a slimy git that shouldn't be trusted, but Dumbledore does trust him and Lupin is right – that means we all have too. Perhaps Snivellus has a task just like you. "

"Everything is shrouded is such mystery." Harry mused.

"Dumbledore." Sirius answered in one word and Harry smiled. "He's always been that way. All the things he had Scar doing the first time round, it drove me mad not knowing... Dumbledore is inherently good, Harry, he wants to defeat Voldemort, like we all do. And he's up to something; we just have to hope that it is the answer."

"The answer to what?"

"To ending all of this."

Harry looked down and his voiced cracked with emotion as he spoke:

"I just wish I wasn't so scared."

"The ministry's scared, the Order's scared, I'm scared, shit we're all scared Harry! But you are not alone. We're your family, everybody in there and at Hogwarts, we're your family and we'd die for you."

Harry jumped out of the chair in an explosion of movement.

"Well you're not going to! Not a single one of you is going to die for me. I'm sick of it, of people dying for me, going to prison and institutions for me! Do you think I wanted any of that? That I asked people to do that?"

"Of course you didn't." Sirius replied calmly. "But it happened. And it happened because people love you so much."

"And what exactly have I done to deserve their love?"

Sirius rose and comforted a shaking Harry just as the front door opened and Lupin and Tonks emerged.

"It was delicious Molly, really." Tonks was saying.

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Was the reply. Tonks leaned in to whisper:

"We should get going, really. The first night of the cycle is always the worst." This subtly was not needed however as Remus was transfixed on something out there in the night and was not taking a single bit of notice. Sirius emerged from the shadows, also aware something was fixating his friend.

"Moony?" He asked. When not even a flicker of recognition occurred, Tonks tried:

"Sweetheart?"

At that very moment the familiar swirl of black evil whirled around the house and a trail of burning orange followed it. The whole house was surrounded in a ring of blazing fire, so hot each person took an unconscious step back. The smell of burning grass instantly contaminated the previously pure air and light illuminated the darkness. As the black whirl came to a stop Bellatrix appeared with that sickening grin on her face. She raced through the gap in the fire.

Harry saw her and felt an instantaneous rage. He remembered that night in the Ministry, how she had almost killed Sirius, mocked Scarlet, how she'd gloated to Neville about his parents. Without realising he was doing it at first, Harry ran after her, ignoring the cries from the burrow. He chased those sickening shrieks and laughs through the reeds that surrounded him.

Scarlet and Ginny appeared at the door. Scarlet, Sirius, Lupin and Tonks all fought to contain the growing fire but it was not working. As a slight gap appeared Ginny ran through it, the light pink of her dressing gown immediately lost in the night.

Then everyone was dashing through the thick reeds, as they were frantically trying to find the middle of the maze and the claim the prize first. Yet none of them knew where they were heading and what the prize was.

Sirius stopped for a moment, he could hear the rustle of grass on every side of him but he had no idea who was friend and who was foe. His wand was raised in front of him he darted around every angle of himself but all he could see was the greying, wiry foliage. The distant sound of duelling entered his ears and he was sure he heard Harry yell: 'Stupefy!' Sirius dashed toward the noise.

However before he reached Harry the sound of rustling became much louder and heard a sound he would recognise anywhere; his wife's cry of pain. Sirius could not believe the scene he came across, his wife was, what could only be described as wrestling with his cousin and then she punched Bellatrix causing her to gain a matching bloody nose and mouth to the one Scarlet was sporting.

Both witches were distracted and Bellatrix managed to get away. Sirius stood there smiling; despite everything he couldn't help it. This woman never failed to amaze him.

"You have a wand you know." He laughed.

"Don't pretend to complain about seeing some girl on girl." She said wiping her bloody mouth.

"I'd rather see some girl on Sirius." He joked but then turned sober as he examined her face and ran a gentle thumb over her bottom lip.

"It's fine." She smiled.

They both jumped at the terrible sound of shattering glass that felt like it echoed for miles, the sound of a home being destroyed. They turned in terror to see the tower of burning light where the Burrow should have been standing, where the Burrow was crumbling under its attack.

Everybody scurried back but it was too late. Harry stood and watched the one place that had always felt safe be destroyed in front of his eyes. Yet again his 'family' had paid for their loyalty and love. This was war.


End file.
